Statistics of Turkish First Football League in the 1997–98 season.
Overview It was contested by 18 teams, and Galatasaray S.K. won the championship. And demotion of Kayserispor, Şekerspor, Vanspor was decided.
League table
Results
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Hakan ŞükürGalatasaray322 Hami MandıralıTrabzonspor203 Serkan AykutSamsunspor184 Aykut Kocamanİstanbulspor16 Mehmet ÖzdilekBeşiktaş6 Majid MusisiÇanakkale Dardanelspor157 Andre Kona N'GoleAntalyaspor14 Erdoğan YılmazKarabükspor Jay-Jay OkochaFenerbahçe Uğur DağdelenKayseri Erciyesspor
Controversies In 2020, former Kocaelispor goalkeeper Dumitru Stângaciu stated in an interview that Kocaelispor players had received incentive bonuses () after their 2–1 victory over Fenerbahçe during the 1997–98 title race. Stângaciu claimed that he personally received US$20,000 and alleged that the money came through Romanian players associated with Galatasaray. In the interview, he described the events as taking place "shortly before the 1998 FIFA World Cup", although the match was played on 27 March 1998 and the tournament began on 10 June 1998.
Following the Şekerspor–Fenerbahçe match played on 3 May 1998, which ended in a draw, Şekerspor goalkeeper Murat Akarsu alleged that he had been offered US$100,000 intermediaries to fix the match in Fenerbahçe's favour. Milliyet, (in Turkish) 4 May 1998 An investigation was subsequently launched. Football manager Özcan Üstündaş and Ufuk Gezeroğlu were detained by police in Ankara in connection with the allegations. According to later reports, the suspects were released pending trial.
Years later, Üstündaş was also mentioned in media coverage of the 2011 Turkish football match-fixing scandal involving Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım and other club officials.
Weblinks Turkey - List of final tables (RSSSF)
References