New details have emerged regarding the examination of digital materials belonging to Central Referee Board (MHK) President Ferhat Gündoğdu, conducted as part of the MHK investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Bureau of Investigation into Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes.
In the WhatsApp correspondence reflected in the examination report, it was observed that a person saved as “I.E.H.”, identified as TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, sent the name of referee Özgür Yankaya to Gündoğdu.
CORRESPONDENCE IN THE REPORT
According to the messages in the report, following Yankaya's name, Hacıosmanoğlu stated, “We do not want this man, neither for the match nor for VAR.” The correspondence continued with the message, “Ertuğrul sent it, Mr. President.”
It was stated that these messages were interpreted as Hacıosmanoğlu conveying to Gündoğdu the request of Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan that Özgür Yankaya not be assigned to Trabzonspor matches or VAR duties.
In the continuation of the correspondence, it was seen that Gündoğdu provided technical evaluations regarding two controversial positions in the relevant match. It was noted that Gündoğdu shared his views on the VAR intervention and the penalty expectation, and also wrote that Erman Toroğlu made the same assessment for both positions.
“We do not want this man, neither for the match nor for VAR.”
The correspondence reflected in the file also included Gündoğdu’s assessment: “The position the referee could not see is a borderline move because the leg was not tense and it did not contain violence. Therefore, it was correct that VAR did not intervene.”
News Source: 12punto
