Saturday, November 1, 2025 - The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 149 referees found to have placed bets on football matches, in what is being described as one of the biggest integrity scandals in Turkish football history.
In a statement released on Friday, October 31, the TFF said
its disciplinary committee had imposed suspensions ranging from eight to twelve
months on the referees involved. It also confirmed that investigations are
still ongoing into three additional referees.
The decision followed a sweeping internal investigation into
571 referees across Turkish professional leagues, which revealed that 371 of
them had sports betting accounts, and 152 were actively gambling.
“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 findings, 22 of the suspended officials, including
seven match referees and 15 assistant referees, were active in Turkey’s
top football league. The data also showed alarming betting patterns, with ten
referees placing over 10,000 bets each, and one referee reportedly making
18,227 bets.
A further 42 referees were found to have bet on more than
1,000 football matches. However, Haciosmanoglu did not confirm whether any of
them had wagered on games they officiated, an act that would constitute a major
criminal and ethical violation.
The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has now launched a
criminal investigation into the scandal, as Turkish football authorities face
growing pressure to restore public trust in the sport’s integrity.
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