Fenerbahçe president receives prison sentence in court ruling

A court has sentenced Fenerbahçe Turkish football club president Sadettin Saran to prison, according to the final ruling in a case heard at the 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul.

The hearing, in which four defendants were tried, was attended by defence lawyers. The lawyers denied the accusations and requested acquittal, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The court sentenced Sadettin Saran and Alan Kenan Saran to two years and six months in prison, as well as a judicial fine of 562,500 Turkish lira (approximately $12,200) each, on charges related to “inciting individuals to participate in games of chance, fixed-odds betting, or mutual sports betting through advertising or other means.”

The other defendants, Emre Eren and Azade Zeynep Haksal, were acquitted.

Sadettin Saran is the current president of Fenerbahçe, elected in September 2025, becoming the 38th leader of the club after defeating Ali Koç in a closely contested vote.

He is a Turkish-American businessman and the founder of Saran Holding, a major media and sports broadcasting group that holds rights to major European football leagues and operates several sports media platforms in Türkiye.

By Jeyhun Aghazada