Eight arrests so far
Betting scandal plunges Turkish football into crisis
Thousands of players and several hundred referees are said to be part of a betting scandal in Turkish football. This crisis threatens to cause long-term damage to sport in the country.
Turkish football is experiencing one of the worst crises in its history. When Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, head of the national football association, stated in late October that hundreds of referees had placed bets illegally, it was clear that the findings would shake the sport. But the scale of this scandal continues to expand. Players, clubs and referees are suspected of betting on games and profiting from them.
TFF boss Haciosmanoglu initially said that 371 of the 571 referees working in the professional league would have betting accounts. 152 of them are actively placing bets. Now it’s clear: 149 referees and more than 1,000 players have so far been banned during the investigation. The association has imposed punishments on 101 players, 25 of whom are from the first division. This involves a ban from 45 days to 12 months. There have also been a number of resignations within the football association itself.
Players from Süperlig are also among the suspects
Eight people have been arrested so far, including Eyüpspor president Murat Özkaya. Matches in the 2nd and 3rd leagues were suspended for two weeks. 27 players from Türkiye’s top league Süperlig were affected, including professionals from top clubs Galatasaray and Besiktas Istanbul.
Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci admitted to placing the bet several years ago “without really understanding the magnitude of the problem,” according to the Anadolu news agency. He then came to the conclusion “that such behavior was inconsistent with the attitude of the sport and stopped it.” But the bet had nothing to do with the game of the team he played for. Besiktas’ Ersin Destanoglu denied the allegations against him, according to Anadolu. A person opens a betting account with his data, not himself.
All clubs in the country are the focus of the investigation
The fact that the club president, manager and coach are also among the suspects illustrates the magnitude of the scandal. All clubs in Türkiye are now the focus of investigations weighing on the future of national football.
A number of German professionals are also under contract in the Süperlig, including renowned former national team captain Ilkay Gündogan and ex-Bayern player Leroy Sané – both of whom have only played for Galatasaray Istanbul since this season. Before the season started, Hamburg promotion hero Davie Selke also moved from HSV to Istanbul club Basaksehir FK.
TFF requested information from Interpol
According to “Hürriyet”, an investigation carried out by financial regulator Masak has uncovered the flow of large amounts of money in connection with illegal betting among several Turkish referees. Two referees are said to have made financial transactions worth between 35 and 50 million Turkish lira, or up to one million euros, between 2021 and 2025. Both were suspended by the disciplinary committee and are now in custody.
Bets were placed on everything, “even the color of the referee’s jersey,” reported broadcaster “Halk TV.”
The Turkish Football Association has requested information from five foreign betting providers in Albania, Bulgaria and Northern Cyprus through Interpol to advance the investigation, broadcaster “Ahaber” reported. In light of FIFA’s investigation, an additional transfer and registration phase of 15 days is required for transfers in the winter, TFF announced.
The betting scandal investigation began in April
While this scandal was shocking, not everyone was surprised. Turkish journalist Murat Agirel criticized the fact that the irregularities had been known for a long time, but no one intervened: “Today everything is gradually coming to light. There is no denying how true what I have been talking about for years,” he wrote in “Cumhuriyet”.
According to TFF boss Haciosmanoglu, a “comprehensive investigation” was launched in April following the match between the clubs Ankaraspor and Nazilli Belediyespor. Players, employees and officials from both sides bet on the game, state broadcaster TRT wrote.
UEFA said it had been in contact with the Turkish Football Association regarding the soccer betting investigation, Anka news agency quoted a statement as saying.
It remains to be seen what long-term impact this scandal will have on Turkey’s number 1 popular sport. TFF boss Haciosmanoglu remains optimistic: “We will fight to the end against those who tarnish this beautiful game in a way that goes against the spirit and values of sport.” Every evening is followed by morning when the sun rises again.
DPA
km / Anne Pollmann and Felix Schröder
