Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan says betting allegations may have followed an oversight

Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan has broken his silence over the betting allegations that have shaken Turkish football, saying there was “no malicious intent” and that he is ready to provide a full defence to the relevant authorities.

Dogan was responding on Wednesday to questions from the Turkish website 61saat about reports that some club directors had betting accounts.

“I am a straightforward person and everyone knows me,” Dogan said. “This is my ninth year in management, and these matters had never previously been on the agenda.”

The Trabzonspor president said the Turkish Football Federation had warned referees and coaches about betting-related restrictions during meetings, but had not provided similar information to directors and administrators.

He said the matter was separate from those briefings and that club officials should have been aware of the rules.

“Perhaps a mistake was made, but I want to emphasise that there was no deliberate misunderstanding or any other circumstance,” Dogan added. “I am speaking on behalf of Trabzonspor. We have many friends here who are former and current directors. They are all respected people of good character, and I can vouch for the character of every one of them.”

‘My account had been closed’

Dogan said a key part of his defence was that his own betting account had been closed long before the current events.

“I had a closed account a long time before these incidents,” he said. “These companies sponsored clubs, and launch events for them were held at the federation’s own headquarters. Because there was no hidden motive on my part or that of my colleagues, perhaps nobody expected such a problem to occur.”

He criticised the level of secrecy surrounding the issue, while accepting that officials may have failed to take sufficient care.

“The federation kept this matter so confidential,” Dogan said. “If we made a mistake or there was negligence, we apologise. We had no hidden motive. I know the other directors; there are competent people and presidents among them. None of them had any ideas or expectations concerning these matters.

“Was this negligence? Yes, it was.”

Dogan said the issue was not new and that some people had opened betting accounts in the past. He reiterated that he had closed his own account well before the current allegations emerged.

“Something similar happened to us and we will defend our position,” he said. “This will be a lesson for everyone in Turkish football. Everyone’s intentions are good and we are looking to the future.”

He added: “There is no problem. We do not want to believe they had any malicious intent. We have made mistakes as well and need to examine these procedures more carefully.”

Dogan said he wished the issue had not dominated the agenda, but insisted Trabzonspor would continue to defend its position.

“We will always continue to say what we believe is right,” he said. “We will continue to defend the interests of Trabzonspor and Turkish football, and we will not retreat even an inch.”