Match-fixing confession from Super Lig referee who quit! 'Registered at the federation with documents'

Arda Kardeşler, who ended his refereeing career following a controversial decision he made after the match between Trabzonspor and Gaziantep FK, made striking statements about his experiences. Speaking at a program he attended in Bursa, Kardeşler stated that he went through a difficult period in his professional life.

Providing details about the position that led him to quit refereeing, Kardeşler evaluated what happened by saying, "The player starts there, and an opposing player in front of him tries to block him. While the ball is stationary, I blow the whistle saying 'don't use it,' but he uses it at that moment. Then I said 'wait.' It is a situation that happens in many matches, but because the advantage was lost, the incident went to different places. Its impact was huge. If I had watched it from the outside, I would have said the advantage was lost too, because his path was very clear."

Stating that it was not possible for him to continue refereeing after the harsh reaction of Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, Kardeşler said, "The president already said what he had to say that day. After that, it was not very possible for me to referee in Turkey anymore. I haven't done it again since that day. I sent my resignation letter in January. This was just to fulfill the procedure, it was the legal dimension. My resignation was approved and the process was clarified. The PFDK's 15-day penalty... I connected to the television. The penalty had nothing to do with the match. I received a penalty because I appeared on television without the knowledge of the MHK. I enjoyed refereeing for 10 years. My performance has been plummeting for the last 2-3 years, it wasn't very good. To tell the truth, I wasn't officiating amazing matches. Let's say this is as far as it goes."

ALLEGED MATCH-FIXING AND INCENTIVE OFFER

Clearly stating that he encountered match-fixing and incentive attempts during his years as a referee, Arda Kardeşler shared the details of the process with the words, "It happened once. And that is already registered at the federation with its documents. I immediately went to the police station and gave my statement. It was not a match I was going to officiate; they had tried to reach someone else through me."

Making statements about his future plans, Kardeşler stated that he will continue to remain in football. While conveying that he wants to turn to player agency in the coming period and is preparing for license exams to become a FIFA agent, he said that he aims to support young talents in the South Marmara region.

Stating that he does not look favorably on television commentary, Kardeşler said, "First; those referees are my friends, we worked together for years. It would not be ethical to criticize them. Second; there are already enough commentators. They comment on a 90-minute match for 3 hours, sometimes unethical statements are made for the sake of ratings. Mustafa Çulcu Hoca comes out, he was our president, he tells and tells, saying it is alleged. You call him, teacher, he says 'I already said it was alleged.' We love Mustafa Hoca, he has a lot of effort in us. The television side is different. That part might not suit me."

News Source: 12punto