The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 149 referees found guilty of betting on football matches, marking one of the biggest integrity scandals in the country’s football history.
In a statement released on Friday, October 31, the TFF announced that its disciplinary committee had imposed suspensions ranging from eight to twelve months on the implicated referees, adding that investigations remain ongoing into three additional officials.
The decision followed a wide-ranging internal probe of 571 referees across various Turkish professional leagues, which uncovered that 371 had active sports betting accounts and 152 were regularly engaging in gambling activities.
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said on Thursday, October 30. “Anyone who tarnishes that honour will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
According to the investigation’s findings, 22 of the suspended officials — including seven match referees and 15 assistant referees — were active in Turkey’s top-tier football league.
The data further revealed alarming betting trends, with ten referees placing over 10,000 bets each, while one referee made a staggering 18,227 wagers.
Additionally, 42 referees were discovered to have bet on more than 1,000 football matches. However, Haciosmanoglu did not specify whether any of the referees had gambled on matches they personally officiated, an act that would amount to a serious criminal and ethical breach.
The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has since opened a criminal investigation into the matter, as Turkish football authorities face mounting pressure to rebuild public confidence and safeguard the integrity of the sport.