Fenerbahçe president Sadettin Saran held in custody in narcotics probe

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·24 December 2025

Fenerbahçe president Sadettin Saran held in custody in narcotics probe

Sadettin Saran, the Fenerbahçe president, was detained on Wednesday as part of a narcotics trafficking investigation in Istanbul.

The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that he was being held on suspicion of narcotics trafficking, incitement to drug use and drug use, citing additional evidence gathered in the ongoing case.

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Saran, 61, has denied the accusations. A hair sample returned positive for narcotics, but he has rejected claims about personal drug use, describing them as a smear campaign aimed at harming the club.

He is expected to spend the night in custody and to be transferred to a court in Istanbul on Thursday morning.

The case comes after a betting scandal in Turkish football. Fenerbahçe are second in the league behind Galatasaray.

Source: L'Équipe