A few days ago, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) made headlines worldwide, revealing that referees and assistant referees responsible for officiating matches were involved in betting. Out of 571 referees working in Turkish football, TFF reported that 371 had at least one account on betting sites. Now, 149 referees and assistant referees have been suspended for directly participating in betting.
Yesterday (Friday), TFF announced that 149 professional league match officials would face bans ranging from 8 to 12 months. Investigations are ongoing against three more individuals. Previously, TFF had reported that 152 referees were active on betting apps, including 7 top-level referees and 15 assistant referees.
In a statement, Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said, “The reputation of Turkish soccer is built on efforts to maintain integrity and uphold fairness. Any form of betrayal violates values and regulations, undermining trust.”
He added, “Recent investigations have shown that the way some referees engaged in betting goes against the spirit of football and is completely unethical. This is not just a violation of general rules, but an affront to conscience and a corruption of justice.”
According to sources involved in the judicial process, reported by broadcaster Habertürk, investigations are ongoing not only against referees and match officials but also against various clubs and players. A total of 3,700 footballers are on the investigation list.
Earlier, TFF stated at a press conference that 10 referees among the accused had bet on over 10,000 matches, with one individual placing bets on 18,227 matches over five years. Among referees with betting accounts are 7 top-level referees, 15 assistant referees, 36 classified referees, and 94 classified assistant referees.