Over 1,000 Players Suspended in Massive Turkish Football Betting Scandal
Turkish football has been plunged into chaos after more than a thousand players were suspended over alleged involvement in a widespread betting scandal.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that 1,024 players across the country’s professional leagues have been sanctioned pending investigation. Among them are 27 players from the top flight, all of whom have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).
The fallout has been immediate. Matches in the third and fourth divisions have been put on hold for two weeks, while fixtures in the Super Lig and First Division will continue as planned.
In response to the crisis, the TFF has written to FIFA requesting an extra 15 days beyond the winter transfer window to allow clubs to cope with depleted squads. FIFA has yet to comment on the request.
Besiktas, one of Turkey’s most successful clubs, confirmed that two of their players were among those referred to the disciplinary panel. “We have full faith in the innocence of our players,” the club said in a statement on Monday.
The scandal has deepened further, with Turkish authorities arresting eight individuals, including a club chairman, as part of their widening investigation. Reports from local media suggest that prosecutors are now looking into possible links to match-fixing and organized betting networks.
The controversy first erupted on October 27 when TFF president Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu revealed that hundreds of referees had been linked to betting accounts. His disclosure sent shockwaves through Turkish football.
Hacıosmanoğlu said that out of 571 referees working across the country’s professional leagues, 371 had betting accounts, while 152 were actively placing bets. “The group included seven referees and fifteen assistant referees from our top two leagues, as well as thirty-six classified referees and ninety-four assistants from the divisions below,” he said.
He also revealed that ten referees had placed more than 10,000 bets each. One referee, in particular, was found to have made 18,227 bets, while 142 officials reportedly wagered on more than 1,000 matches.
According to both TFF and FIFA rules, referees, coaches, and players are strictly prohibited from engaging in any form of betting activity.
Turkish prosecutors have since issued detention orders for 21 people, including 17 referees and two football club presidents, as part of the deepening investigation.