Türkiye: Club loses 17 players after betting scandal

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Unrest in Türkiye

The club lost 17 players after a betting scandal

Updated 11/25/2025 – 09:56Reading time: 1 minute.

İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu: President of the Turkish Football Association attracted a lot of attention with the announcement of the betting scandal. (Source: IMAGO/Serhat Cagdas)

The gambling scandal in Türkiye continues to spread. Some clubs have been badly affected by this.

Turkish fourth division club Agri Spor lost a player. Vice President Tekin Yusan told state news agency Anadolu that the club currently only has seven players available for training. The reason: 17 players banned in connection with the current betting scandal.

“Currently the management and coaching cadre is bigger than the players,” said Yusan. This situation presents a big challenge for the club. The plan is for the team to be filled with players from U19 in the short term, said Yusan.

The backdrop is a widespread betting scandal that has affected Turkish football for weeks. At the end of October, the Turkish Association (TFF) announced that a total of 152 referees were said to be actively betting. The player and club are also under investigation. Currently, 149 referees and more than 1,000 players are suspended while the investigation takes place.

27 professionals from the Süper Lig were also affected, including players from top clubs Galatasaray and Besiktas Istanbul.