Fenerbahce president sentenced to prison for illegal betting charges days before Turkish club's election

An Istanbul court has sentenced Fenerbahce president Saran and his brother, Alan Kenan, to two years and six months in prison. The duo, who did not attend the hearing at the Istanbul 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance, were also hit with individual judicial fines of around £9,000. The prosecution followed an indictment alleging that illegal gambling advertisements were broadcast during a football match shown via a media group owned by Saran.

The Turkish Football Federation's legal representative demanded punishment, while defence lawyers pushed for an acquittal. Following the verdict, Saran's legal counsel, Serdar Yigit, issued a statement: "Within the scope of the verdict announced today, we welcome the ruling delivered in respect of our clients who are executives at the Saran Group and have been acquitted. The ruling issued against Mr Sadettin Saran and Mr Kenan Saran is not yet final, and will be evaluated by higher courts upon appealing to legal remedies."

The court chose to acquit co-defendants Emre Eren and Azade Zeynep Haksal of the same charges. Despite the severe sentences handed to the remaining defendants, Saran's team expects the decision to be overturned.

Yigit added: "In this context, we inform the public that the appeal process will be initiated and we will follow the legal proceedings until the very end. We maintain our absolute belief that justice will prevail following the final assessment and that all of our clients will be acquitted. Yours sincerely."

Fenerbahce must now navigate this administrative scandal as they head into an extraordinary boardroom election this weekend. The transition comes after a disappointing league campaign where they finished second with 74 points, losing the Super Lig title to rivals Galatasaray by three points. While the outgoing Saran is not seeking re-election, a two-way battle to decide the club's future direction will commence between former chief Aziz Yildirim and challenger Hakan Safi.