Turkish authorities on Monday arrested eight people, including the president of a first league club, as part of an investigation into suspected betting on football matches. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also suspended 1,024 players pending the completion of disciplinary investigations.
The Turkish Football Federation suspended 1,024 players PHOTO Archive
Earlier this month, the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation revealed officials working in Turkey’s professional leagues were betting on soccer matches.
State news agency Anadolu reported that a court ordered the arrest of Eyüpspor club president Murat Ozkaya along with seven others in the same investigation. Eyüpspor, a team that plays in the first Turkish league (Super Lig), has not yet commented on the situation.
According to a TFF statement, 1,024 players from all leagues have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK), including 27 Super Lig footballers, all of whom have been suspended in the meantime. Among them are players from the champion Galatasaray, but also from the rival Besiktas, as well as from other clubs.
“Due to the precautionary transfer of the 1,024 players to the PFDK, urgent discussions have been initiated with FIFA to approve an additional 15-day transfer and registration period, valid only at national level, in addition to the 2025-26 winter transfer window, so that clubs can complete their squads”the federation announced, quoted by The Guardian.
The TFF also suspended matches in the second and third leagues for two weeks, and local media reported that on Tuesday at 14:00 (GMT), the federation’s management will hold an extraordinary meeting.
FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the investigation and the TFF’s request for an additional 15-day transfer window.
The president of the federation, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, described the situation as “a moral crisis in Turkish football”. According to the TFF’s own investigation, 371 of the 571 active referees in Turkish professional leagues had accounts on betting platforms, and 152 of them actively placed bets.
One referee has bet 18,227 times and another 42 have bet on over 1,000 football matches each. Others were spotted with only a single bet recorded.
