A Turkish court sentenced Fenerbahce Chairman Sadettin Saran and his brother Kenan to two years and six months in prison for inciting illegal betting through advertising or other means on June 4, 2023 [1, 2]. Sadettin Saran denied any wrongdoing in his court defense, as reported by local media [1].
Earlier in 2023, Sadettin Saran was briefly detained during a broader investigation into drug use among Turkish celebrities but was later released [1, 2]. The current sentence came amid wide-ranging probes by Turkish authorities into alleged match-fixing and illegal betting within professional football leagues [1, 2].
The crackdown has seen dozens of referees suspended by the Turkish Football Federation, and numerous football commentators, officials, and players from top-tier clubs detained or arrested in connection to the probes [1, 2].
Following the court decision, Sadettin Saran announced his resignation as Fenerbahce chairman in March 2023. The club scheduled an extraordinary congress on June 6-7, 2023, to elect a new chairman [1, 2]. Former chairman Aziz Yildirim has declared his candidacy for the leadership alongside businessman Hakan Safi, while Sadettin Saran will not run [1, 2].
Saran's tenure ended amid the club’s 13-year championship drought, adding pressure on the leadership to rebuild amidst the scandal [1, 2]. The extraordinary congress later this month is set to select new leadership to guide Fenerbahce through these challenges [1, 2].