Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a plea for individuals rather than clubs to be punished for match-fixing on Thursday, even as FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged increased vigilance against what he called the "scourge'' of rigged matches.
Erdogan spoke to officials from Europe's 53 football nations in Istanbul - the home city of Fenerbahce, whose chairman is suspected of fixing games to help it win the Turkish title last year, and was then barred from entering the Champions League.
Addressing UEFA's annual congress, Erdogan said clubs should not be punished for crimes committed by individuals.
"We have to identify a difference between the individual and the legal entity,'' Erdogan told representatives of UEFA's 53 member associations. "We should act against individuals who committed the crime. Only they should be given the highest sanctions.
In another important step for Turkish football, Erdogan urged UEFA to consider a possible Turkish bid for the 2020 European Championship. Turkey, which is bidding to stage the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul, is also mulling the possibility of bidding to host Euro 2020.
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