Turkmenistan's Ex-President's Football Team Dominates the League

Turkmenistan's top football league witnessed a remarkable debut by Arkadag, a team established by authoritarian former leader Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, as they claimed the national championship in their first season. The club, which includes most of the national team players, has faced allegations of match-fixing, prompting fans of other teams to express outrage. Berdymukhamedov, who recently passed on the presidency to his son Serdar, now holds the position of speaker in the Turkmen parliament. He founded Arkadag in April and situated it in a newly constructed city named after the club. Furthermore, he personally designed the team's logo and kit. Before the start of the season, Arkadag acquired many of their rivals' top talents as signings. Remarkably, the team won all of their league matches and secured the top position four games before the season's conclusion. Although they had a lone setback in a friendly match against Besa Doberdoll of the North Macedonian second division, the team is now vying for a double victory. Nevertheless, allegations of biased referees favoring Arkadag have surfaced, with one rival club fan claiming that the team has been given unfair advantages, such as a suspiciously awarded penalty in the 91st minute during a match against Shagadam. This biased behavior has led to a decline in interest in the sport within the country. Former President Berdymukhamedov, renowned for his alleged triumphs in various sports competitions during his tenure, was known for his promotion of sports among citizens and government officials. These actions were seen as part of his autocratic regime, characterized by a cult of personality and restricted media access, along with a poor human rights record. The situation has shown little change under his son Serdar, who assumed power in March 2022.