The Turkish Football Federation has taken action against more than 1,000 players, including 27 from the top division, in response to a significant investigation into alleged betting activities on football matches. A total of 1,024 footballers have been implicated in the probe and have been referred to the country’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).
Current champions and league leaders, Galatasaray, have had one of their players, Eren Elmali, linked to the investigation. Meanwhile, Istanbul rivals Besiktas have seen two players referred to the PFDK, although the club has expressed confidence in the innocence of these players, who remain unnamed.
Elmali admitted to placing a bet on a game not involving his team about five years ago, before joining Galatasaray this year. As a result of the suspensions, matches in the third and fourth tiers of Turkish football have been postponed for the next two weeks, while games in the top two tiers will continue as scheduled.
The President of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, revealed the scandal on October 27, describing it as a “moral crisis” in Turkish football. The TFF has requested FIFA to extend the winter transfer window by 15 days to allow clubs to address squad gaps created by the investigation.
Local media reports indicate that Turkish authorities have made eight arrests related to the investigation, including a club chairman. Additionally, detention orders have been issued for 21 individuals, including 17 referees and two club presidents.
The investigation, ongoing for the past five years, has led to the banning of 149 officials. Allegedly, 371 out of 571 referees had gambling accounts, with 152 actively placing bets. One referee was found to have made 18,227 bets. Three officials are still under investigation, and the TFF has confirmed that they could face penalties.
Former Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, previously criticized the standard of refereeing in Turkish football. While there is no evidence linking his team to the betting scandal, Mourinho urged the media to address the issue.
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