The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation found that hundreds of professional match officials in Turkey held betting accounts.
Bans ranging from eight to twelve months have been imposed depending on the severity of the offences, while investigations into three other officials remain ongoing. The TFF published the full list of penalised referees on its official website.
The investigation, which spanned five years, revealed that 371 of 571 match officials in Turkey had betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling. Although some had placed only a single bet, 42 officials were found to have bet on more than 1,000 football matches, and one individual placed as many as 18,227 bets.
Under TFF disciplinary regulations, as well as those of Fifa and Uefa, match officials are strictly prohibited from engaging in betting activities, just like players and coaches.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the findings as evidence of a deep ethical problem within Turkish football. “There is a moral crisis in Turkish football. There is no such thing as structure. The fundamental problem at the core of Turkish football is an ethical one,” he told CNN on Friday.
Haciosmanoglu added that referees were being paid properly and had recently received salary increases. “Ask any referee, if there is even one who has not received his pay, I will resign as federation president. In fact, we improved their salaries last year, and again this year,” he said.
Following Monday’s revelations, several of Turkey’s leading clubs issued statements. Besiktas said the findings “could mark a new beginning for clean football,” while Trabzonspor described the development as “a historic opportunity to rebuild justice in Turkish football.”
Fenerbahce president Sadettin Saran also commented, saying, “This is both shocking and deeply saddening for Turkish football. But the fact that it is coming to light is a hopeful development.”
