By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 1:26 p.m. ET April 4, 2012
NYON, Switzerland (AP) -Turkish league leader Galatasaray fears being expelled from next season's Champions League by UEFA if national football leaders fail to address match-fixing allegations implicating other clubs.
Galatasaray director Sedat Dogan told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his club should not be punished, and lose expected ?40 million ($52.5 million) revenue from Champions League matches, just because Turkish officials failed to act.
"We must not be held responsible for an omission or neglect of the Turkish Football Federation body," said Dogan, who has formally asked the TFF's independent disciplinary unit to resolve cases which emerged nine months ago.
Dogan said he is "afraid" that UEFA - which has pledged a zero-tolerance fight against match-fixing - could step in and simply suspend all Turkish clubs from its competitions.
Galatasaray "is ready for everything in any moment" and would weigh eventual legal action at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Dogan said.
Galatasaray is not involved in an ongoing criminal trial involving 93 officials, players and coaches, including the president of reigning champion Fenerbahce who is accused of helping fix matches during the team's late-season title surge. Fenerbahce was barred from this season's Champions League as a result of the investigation.
Verdicts are not expected for many months - long after UEFA's June 1 deadline for national federations to enter clubs for next season's lucrative Champions League and second-tier Europa League competitions.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said last month in Istanbul that it would intervene if the TFF's disciplinary body fails to take any action by the registration deadline.
"The end of May to decide is too late. There must be some decision. We must have enough time to protect ourselves," Dogan said.
Galatasaray's anxiety is rising as it seems poised to reach the elite 32-team group stage of the Champions League for the first time in six seasons.
Turkey has earned an automatic group-stage place for its champion, and a berth in the third qualifying round for its league runner-up, under UEFA's formula of allocating entries according to each country's results over a five-year cycle.
Galatasaray will take a clear points lead into a four-team playoff system which was devised this season to guard against manipulation of results.
In addition, the 17-time champion's three playoff rivals - Fenerbahce, Trabzonspor and Beziktas - all face sanctions if the TFF finally processes the stalled disciplinary cases.
Dogan says the federation has access to the same files as prosecutors in the criminal case.
"They have all kinds of evidence, they have all the authority, they have to decide," he said.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
advertisement
More newsGetty Images2 top Somalia sports officials die in bomb blast
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - The president of Somalia's Olympic committee and the head of the national soccer federation were killed in a bomb blast Wednesday that the IOC called an "act of barbarism.''
drew brees nfl news tebow tebow jets romney etch a sketch jeb bush sherry arnold
No comments:
Post a Comment