European football's governing body UEFA said Monday it has opened match-fixing investigations into Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest and Turkish side Besiktas. If found guilty, Steaua could be kicked out of next season's champions League.
The club's president Gigi Becali, who was already serving a prison sentence for corruption, was condemned to another three years of incarceration last week for having offered bribes to players from a rival team, Universitatea Cluj in 2008. UEFA has not divulged the exact nature of the charges laid against either Steaua or Besiktas, but said both relate to match-fixing. Two Besiktas officials are under investigation relating to the 2011 Turkish Cup final, which the club won on penalties against Istanbul B.B.
The two cases are due to be heard by the UEFA disciplinary commission on Friday June 21 in Nyon. The next day the disciplinary commission will hear the case of another Istanbul based club, last season's Europa League semi-finalists Fenerbahce who, along with five of their officials, are suspected of fixing matches as well. UEFA will pronounce judgement on all three cases on June 24.