Match-fixing or not, let the season begin

European football's governing body UEFA made its will known by forcing the sluggish Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to bar defending champion Fenerbahçe and its rigging allegations from the Champions League, but TFF President Mehmet Ali Aydınlar said that “it would not be right, fair or just to deliver a verdict” before the indictment has been prepared. So, the TFF has yet to issue a statement about Fener's championship and has actually rejected the team's request to be relegated to the Bank Asya League 1. This inconsistency could pose some problems for the country, as tension is high these days. Some may feel the suspects, especially Fenerbahçe, deserve to be relegated, while Fener may just be irritated that its requests have not been respected.

Caged Canaries sing

For one thing, we already saw a match called off due to hooliganism this summer, as Fenerbahçe supporters stormed the pitch in the club's friendly against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in late July, attacking journalists, because they either blame the press for the problems their team has experienced while trying to weather the match-rigging investigation or simply have problems with misplaced rage. After several ineffectual attempts were made to quell the furious fans, the match was called off.

Remember, that was only a friendly, so we can only imagine what might happen at an important game, especially since the Yellow Canaries lost the right to represent Turkey in UEFA's most prestigious competition. Loyal Fener followers are no doubt miffed that runner-up Trabzonspor was given their ticket to European glory, so we may see some more tension at Fenerbahçe games.

Fener itself has suffered from an exodus of its very finest after it was banned from the Champions League, although its informal request for relegation was rejected. A few weeks ago, the team was not looking half bad for this season and, assuming it could stay focused and look past its match-rigging woes, it may have had good prospects. However, having suffered the loss of Uruguay captain-defender Diego Lugano and Brazil defender Andre Santos, the Yellow Canaries are suddenly looking less hopeful. Too many things have been sprung on them at the last minute.

Fenerbahçe is a big club, however, and because it has been the hardest hit this summer, it will no doubt be out to show the world what it is made of. The players that stayed with the club, especially and last season's goal king Alex de Souza, are preparing to give it their all, and Fener fans are no doubt ready to give those who stayed all the love and support they need.

Calm before the Storm

As for the fans of runner-up Trabzonspor, after rejoicing as their team took Fenerbahçe's place in Europe, they probably expect the league title to follow suit. They certainly believe Fener is guilty, as it was Trabzon that started calling foul on the Canaries at the end of last season. However, the TFF has stated that it will wait for the prosecutor to prepare the indictment before it -- willingly -- takes any action against the suspects, and who knows how long that will take. Until the discrepancies between the domestic leagues and outside competitions are resolved, we may see some turmoil on this front as well.

Trabzonspor may be happy right now, as it has won a major moral victory over Fener, but the Champions League is nothing if not a tempest and the team will be hard-pressed to come out of it with their heads above water, especially with the clouds of match fixing and uncertainty hanging overhead. Moreover, after the Storm narrowly missed out on the league title last season, many of its top players left for greener pastures. Trabzon has tried to make up for that with a flurry of signings this summer, but this is simply not the same team we watched dominate the Super League standings most of last year. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen and its most challenging test lies in Europe, though it will be under plenty of pressure to keep up the good work in the Super League as well.

Beşiktaş Black Eagles to look past problems

We also have Ziraat Turkish Cup winner Beşiktaş, who announced that it would return the cup until all of its men were cleared of wrongdoing. Interestingly, despite this, the Black Eagles are representing Turkey in the UEFA Europa League, a privilege that goes hand-in-hand with winning the cup. Hopefully there will be no hard feelings about this situation among other clubs, though scuffles between the more intense BJK fans and those of certain rivals would not be out of place in any season.

The Beşiktaş club and its fans are adamant about their team's innocence. As bogged down as they might be with the allegations, the Eagles seem less likely to fall prey to distraction and hopelessness. They will, however, be watching every move the TFF or anyone else makes because, having seen no reasonable evidence against their team, they no longer trust the investigation.

The players and administrators of every club are certainly agonizing over what will happen in the future, as they have been for months, while the fans may be more prone to hooliganism, but at least now we will have some football to look forward to. Football fans want to watch matches, not read about interrogations for years on end and, while justice must be served, players need to be able ply their trade in the meantime.

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2011-12 Spor Toto Super League first half fixtures

Week 1 (Sept. 9)

Antalyaspor-Gaziantepspor

Ankaragücü-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Eskişehirspor-Beşiktaş

Bursaspor-Kayserispor

Kardemir Karabükspor-Sivasspor

Samsunspor-Gençlerbirliği

İstanbul BşB-Galatasaray

Manisaspor-Trabzonspor

Fenerbahçe-Orduspor

Week 2 (Sept. 18)

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Bursaspor

Trabzonspor-İstanbul BşB

Galatasaray-Samsunspor

Gençlerbirliği-Kardemir Karabükspor

Beşiktaş-Ankaragücü

Kayserispor- Antalyaspor

Gaziantepspor-Fenerbahçe

Sivasspor-Eskişehirspor

Orduspor-Manisaspor

Week 3 (Sept. 21)

Fenerbahçe-Manisaspor

Bursaspor-Beşiktaş

Kardemir Karabükspor-Galatasaray

Antalyaspor-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Ankaragücü-Sivasspor

Eskişehirspor-Gençlerbirliği

İstanbul BşB-Orduspor

Gaziantepspor-Kayserispor

Samsunspor-Trabzonspor

Week 4 (Sept. 25)

Gençlerbirliği-Ankaragücü

Beşiktaş- Antalyaspor

Manisaspor-İstanbul BşB

Galatasaray-Eskişehirspor

Sivasspor-Bursaspor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Gaziantepspor

Kayserispor-Fenerbahçe

Trabzonspor-Karabükspor

Orduspor-Samsunspor

Week 5 (Oct. 2)

Antalyaspor-Sivasspor

Kayserispor-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Gaziantepspor-Beşiktaş

Fenerbahçe-İstanbul BşB

Bursaspor-Gençlerbirliği

Ankaragücü-Galatasaray

Eskişehirspor-Trabzonspor

Kardemir Karabükspor-Orduspor

Samsunspor-Manisaspor

Week 6 (Oct. 16)

Beşiktaş-Kayserispor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Fenerbahçe

Orduspor-Eskişehirspor

Galatasaray-Bursaspor

Gençlerbirliği- Antalyaspor

Sivasspor-Gaziantepspor

İstanbul BşB-Samsunspor

Manisaspor- Karabükspor

Trabzonspor-Ankaragücü

Week 7 (Oct. 23)

Antalyaspor-Galatasaray

Eskişehirspor-Manisaspor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Beşiktaş

Bursaspor-Trabzonspor

Ankaragücü-Orduspor

Kardemir Karabükspor-İstanbul BşB

Kayserispor-Sivasspor

Gaziantepspor-Gençlerbirliği

Fenerbahçe-Samsunspor

Week 8 (Oct. 26)

Orduspor-Bursaspor

Gençlerbirliği-Kayserispor

Manisaspor-Ankaragücü

Galatasaray-Gaziantepspor

Sivasspor-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Beşiktaş-Fenerbahçe

Samsunspor-Karabükspor

İstanbul BşB-Eskişehirspor

Trabzonspor-Antalyaspor

Week 9 (Oct. 30)

Ankaragücü-İstanbul BşB

Beşiktaş-Sivasspor

Gaziantepspor-Trabzonspor

Antalyaspor-Orduspor

Bursaspor-Manisaspor

Eskişehirspor-Samsunspor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Gençlerbirliği

Kayserispor-Galatasaray

Fenerbahçe-Kardemir Karabükspor

Week 10 (Nov. 6)

İstanbul BşB-Bursaspor

Trabzonspor-Kayserispor

Orduspor-Gaziantepspor

Galatasaray-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Gençlerbirliği-Beşiktaş

Sivasspor-Fenerbahçe

Karabükspor-Eskişehirspor

Samsunspor-Ankaragücü

Manisaspor- Antalyaspor

Week 11 (Nov. 20)

Beşiktaş-Galatasaray

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Trabzonspor

Fenerbahçe-Eskişehirspor

Antalyaspor-İstanbul BşB

Bursaspor-Samsunspor

Ankaragücü-Kardemir Karabükspor

Sivasspor-Gençlerbirliği

Kayserispor-Orduspor

Gaziantepspor-Manisaspor

Week 12 (Nov. 23)

Karabükspor-Bursaspor

İstanbul BşB-Gaziantepspor

Trabzonspor-Beşiktaş

Orduspor-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Galatasaray-Sivasspor

Gençlerbirliği-Fenerbahçe

Eskişehirspor-Ankaragücü

Samsunspor- Antalyaspor

Manisaspor-Kayserispor

Week 13 (Nov. 27)

Antalyaspor-Kardemir Karabükspor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Manisaspor

Kayserispor-İstanbul BşB

Bursaspor-Eskişehirspor

Gençlerbirliği-Galatasaray

Sivasspor-Trabzonspor

Beşiktaş-Orduspor

Gaziantepspor-Samsunspor

Fenerbahçe-Ankaragücü

Week 14 (Dec. 4)

Ankaragücü-Bursaspor

Eskişehirspor- Antalyaspor

Trabzonspor-Gençlerbirliği

Orduspor-Sivasspor

Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe

Karabükspor-Gaziantepspor

Samsunspor-Kayserispor

İstanbul BşB-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Manisaspor-Beşiktaş

Week 15 (Dec. 7)

Antalyaspor-Ankaragücü

Sivasspor-Manisaspor

Kayserispor-Karabükspor

Bursaspor-Fenerbahçe

Gençlerbirliği-Orduspor

Beşiktaş-İstanbul BşB

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Samsunspor

Gaziantepspor-Eskişehirspor

Trabzonspor-Galatasaray

Week 16 (Dec. 11)

Eskişehirspor-Kayserispor

İstanbul BşB-Sivasspor

Fenerbahçe-Trabzonspor

Orduspor-Galatasaray

Bursaspor- Antalyaspor

Ankaragücü-Gaziantepspor

Karabükspor-Mersin İdmanyurdu

Samsunspor-Beşiktaş

Manisaspor-Gençlerbirliği

Week 17 (Dec. 18)

Antalyaspor-Fenerbahçe

Beşiktaş-Kardemir Karabükspor

Gaziantepspor-Bursaspor

Galatasaray-Manisaspor

Gençlerbirliği-İstanbul BşB

Sivasspor-Samsunspor

Mersin İdmanyurdu-Eskişehirspor

Kayserispor-Ankaragücü

Trabzonspor-Orduspor