The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday announced the suspension of 149 referees found guilty of betting on football matches.
In a statement, the federation said its disciplinary committee had imposed suspensions ranging from eight to twelve months, adding that investigations were still ongoing into three additional referees.
The decision follows an internal probe into 571 referees across Turkey’s professional leagues, which revealed that 371 held sports betting accounts and 152 were actively placing bets.
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said on Thursday. “Anyone who tarnishes that honour will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
According to the TFF, 22 of the officials under investigation — including seven match referees and 15 assistants — currently work in the country’s top-tier league.
Further details released by the federation showed that 10 referees placed more than 10,000 bets, with one individual alone responsible for 18,227 wagers. Another 42 referees reportedly bet on over 1,000 football matches each.
Hacıosmanoğlu did not clarify whether any of the referees were suspected of betting on matches they officiated.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has launched a separate criminal investigation into the scandal.
AFP
