Relegated Kayserispor: Do not certify the Süper Lig

In the statement issued by Kayserispor, it was stated that an environment of equal competition could not be ensured in Turkish football throughout the season, and it was noted that "acts aimed at influencing match results must also be evaluated in terms of sporting justice."

Drawing attention to the need to protect competitive equality in Turkish football, the statement said, "Football is, by its nature, a game with three possible outcomes. Winning, losing, and drawing are all inseparable parts of the game and competition. As long as results are the consequence of a fair struggle under equal conditions on the pitch, they are not open to debate. However, we regret to state that an environment of equal competition could not be ensured in Turkish football during the past season; shadows have been cast over the struggle that should have taken place on the pitch. The sense of justice that forms the foundation of football has been damaged, and developments that occurred while the season was ongoing have created serious question marks in the public conscience. In the written press statement of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office dated 20.02.2026, it was clearly stated that it had been determined that a total of 33 club executives had engaged in actions aimed at manipulating match results in their own matches and that investigation processes had been initiated in this context. Furthermore, some club presidents and executives have been arrested within the scope of these operations. In the face of findings that are extremely grave for Turkish football, it is not sufficient to address the process solely through its judicial dimension. It has become mandatory to evaluate acts aimed at influencing match results in terms of sporting justice in order to protect the reliability of football in our country, competitive equality, and the public conscience. We are also closely following the process in which public lawsuits have been filed in some files within the scope of the investigations conducted before the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and judicial measures have been applied and arrest warrants have been issued against the presidents and executives of some clubs competing in the Süper Lig," the statement read.

"Our club believes in the principle of fair and equal competition for the benefit of Turkish football"

"Limiting the response to personal sanctions alone for administrators against whom there are serious findings regarding their influence on match results is inconsistent with sporting justice and competitive equality," the statement continued. "Since the beginning of the season, sporting disciplinary mechanisms have been operated by the Turkish Football Federation; various disciplinary sanctions have been applied to thousands of footballers, coaches, and club members. Despite the ongoing processes before judicial authorities, the Turkish Football Federation has determined disciplinary violations by some individuals and has imposed penal sanctions accordingly. As such, limiting the response to personal sanctions alone for administrators against whom there are serious findings regarding their influence on match results is inconsistent with sporting justice and competitive equality. Our club's expectation is that, in order to protect the reliability of football, the public conscience, and the sporting integrity of our league, the necessary sporting sanctions should be applied to the relevant individuals and clubs without hesitation, within the framework of the regulations. Our club believes in the principle of fair and equal competition not only for its own position but for the benefit of Turkish football. Acting with the thought that sporting success only carries meaning under conditions of transparency, fairness, and equality, our club maintains its belief that the TFF will also establish an environment of fair competition in accordance with the expectations of all football stakeholders. In this framework, when the ongoing judicial and sporting disciplinary processes are evaluated together, we are of the opinion that certifying the 2025-2026 season in its current state will not satisfy the public conscience and will not align with the sense of justice. We are of the opinion that it is mandatory for the future of Turkish football to make the necessary evaluations in order to resolve the serious question marks that have formed in the football public, to ensure the principle of competitive equality in its entirety, and to conclude the ongoing processes in a healthy manner. The sporting reality of our league is being dealt a blow due to an unfair and unequal competition environment; making an effort to correct this environment is the duty not only of our club but of everyone who considers the interests of Turkish football. In the face of the fact that footballers and coaches receive heavy penalties, such as bans of up to 12 months, on the grounds that they bet small amounts on their own accounts on legal platforms, it is unacceptable that extremely heavy and grave phenomena such as match-fixing, illegal betting, influencing match results, and money laundering at the level of club presidents and executives are ignored. It would be incomplete and insufficient to evaluate the process being carried out in the public eye solely as a 'betting investigation.' Because the allegations that have emerged within the scope of the investigation point to extremely grave actions that go beyond a simple betting violation; they point to the manipulation of match results and a direct violation of sporting competition," the statement said.

"We will pursue our club's rights not only before the institutions of the Republic of Turkey but also before international institutions"

The statement from the red-and-yellow club continued as follows: "In particular, the findings that some club executives were involved in betting activities that could be considered systematic, aimed at results against their own teams and in favor of rival teams, reveal a picture that is unacceptable in terms of sports ethics and the integrity of football. A club executive entering into a relationship of interest based on scenarios where their own team will lose and their opponent will win is not only contrary to the nature of sporting competition but also constitutes a very serious violation in terms of the fundamental principles of international sports law. Indeed, in addition to the judicial processes that took place while the season was ongoing, the fact that two clubs competing in the Süper Lig have been seized by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) due to ongoing investigations reveals an extremely extraordinary and grave picture for Turkish football. It is not possible to evaluate such grave developments that directly affect the reliability of sporting competition solely through their judicial dimension. Our club's view is that the sporting consequences of interventions of this scale must also be evaluated by the Turkish Football Federation, and that the application of sanctions provided for in the regulations, including points deduction and relegation, is inevitable for the establishment of a fair competition environment.

As the public follows, heavy sanctions are applied by the Professional Football Disciplinary Board for all kinds of disciplinary violations that occur at every level of football. It is mandatory that the same determination be shown regarding the grave allegations that directly cast suspicion on the reliability and competitive integrity of Turkish football and are being followed by the state. In this context, we announce to the public that we expect the immediate application of all sporting sanctions provided for in the regulations, including points deduction and relegation, against the relevant individuals and clubs; and that our club will pursue its rights to the end not only before the institutions of the Republic of Turkey but also before international institutions, primarily FIFA and UEFA. Even at this stage, the extent to which illegal betting, activities aimed at influencing match results, and organized crime allegations have reached is still being investigated within the scope of the investigations conducted by judicial authorities. The fact that the investigations conducted before the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office will continue comprehensively has also been clearly stated to the public by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Osman Sağlam. As such, finalizing sporting results while processes whose full dimensions have not yet been revealed and whose effects have not been fully determined are still ongoing carries the risk of causing consequences that are difficult to compensate for, both in terms of the public conscience and the principle of competitive equality. For these reasons, we are of the opinion that the final results and certification procedures regarding the Süper Lig should not be announced at the current stage. It is mandatory for the re-establishment of a fair and equal competition environment that the processes reflected before the judicial authorities be evaluated in all their aspects by the Turkish Football Federation, and that the necessary sanctions be applied within the framework of the regulations and legislation against the individuals and clubs determined to have committed violations by influencing match results."

News Source: 12punto