Trabzonspor have expressed concern over the refusal of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to declare them champions for the 2010/2011 Turkish Super Lig season despite confirming the match-fixing allegations against winners, Fenerbahce, Completesports.com reports.
Trabzonspor who currently have the Nigerian trio of Ogenyi Onazi, Anthony Nwakaeme and former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi in their ranks, sued for redress of a controversial title won by Fenerbahce eight seasons ago.
Fenerbahce’s title win in 2010/2011 season has remained a subject of litigation after it emerged that they engaged in match-fixing during the campaign with Trabzonspor petitioning [TFF] Turkish Football Federation and FIFA.
The club eventually launched an appeal at CAS, who has agreed that Fenerbahce indeed indulged in match fixing but said it was at individual player level and benefit and not the club as a team. Both TFF and FIFA did not opt to strip Fenerbahce of their title.
“…Our club subsequently filed a new application with the Sports Arbitration Court, CAS, and appealed the decision.
CAS announced its final decision following the hearing attended by our President, Ahmet Agaoglu, members of the executive board and club lawyers in Lausanne, Switzerland,” Trabzonspor said in a statement on their website on Thursday.
“In its decision, CAS stated that Fenerbahce perpetrated actions such as match-fixing, match manipulation, and making incentive payments in the 2010-2011 season, that several officials were sanctioned for match-fixing activities.
“However, the club was not sanctioned because the activities were held to be attributable to the individuals only and not to the club itself.
“In the following part of its decision, CAS took a ‘ridiculous’ excuse and stated that there were no legal regulations in FIFA or TFF allowing our club to be announced as the champion of the 2010-2011 season.
“CAS has also acknowledged and expressed that “the Panel recognizes the sense of grievance on the part of Trabzonspor” as a result of match fixing activities; however, it made a decision which cannot be understood within the scope of law, which states that: even if FIFA instructs to impose sanctions on Fenerbahçe, or the TFF directly imposes sanctions on Fenerbahce, “our club will not be affected with this matter!.”
Trabzonspor thus accused CAS of ‘legitimising’ match fixing following its decision on their case.
“In summary, stating that the rights of the teams suffering from match-fixing cannot be discharged to them, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has legitimized such illegal activities with this decision, which is bereft of any legal foundation.
“After this decision, no clubs whose championships are stolen through match-fixing in any league in the world will get their due anymore.”
The club then aimed swipes at UEFA, FIFA and CAS following the decision.
“UEFA, which claims to manage European football, FIFA which claims to manage football across the globe and Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) which is supposed to eliminate the unjust activities, have become the subject of a strangeness, instead of taking on a historical responsibility against this most apparent title theft of history,” Trabzonspor added.
“That the most valuable take for us is the stain that cannot contaminate our jersey we wear proudly, and the immaculate Trabzonspor image in the minds of people throughout our country…..”
By Sab Osuji
