Turkish Football Fed suspends over thousand players in betting scandal

Turkish Football Federation (TFF) office

Dhaka, November 11 — The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 1,024 players from its professional leagues as part of a widening betting scandal.

The TFF said the players—who were identified as having bet on football, including 27 from Turkey's top flight—have been referred to the country’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).

Following the move, matches in the third and fourth divisions of Turkish football have been postponed for two weeks, although games in the top two divisions will continue as scheduled as per the TFF statement.

The Turkish federation has also requested world governing body FIFA for an additional 15 days on top of the winter transfer window to help clubs manage potential squad shortages.

Turkish national team defender Seyed Emirhan Elmalı and his Galatasaray teammate Metehan Baltacı are among the 1,024 players named on the list published by the federation on Monday and referred to the disciplinary commission.

Elmalı issued a statement late Monday explaining his involvement in the case after being withdrawn from the Turkey squad preparing for World Cup qualifying matches against Spain and Bulgaria.

Besiktas, one of Turkey’s biggest clubs, also issued a statement saying two of their players had been referred to the PFDK, adding that the club had “full faith” in the pair’s innocence.

Local media reported that eight people, including a club chairman, have been taken into custody by Turkish authorities as part of the investigation.

The scandal first grabbed headlines on October 27, when TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu stated at a news conference that hundreds of referees had links to betting accounts. He claimed that of the 571 referees active in Turkey’s professional leagues, 371 had betting accounts and 152 were actively placing bets, including seven who are authorized to officiate top-flight matches and 15 top-tier assistant referees.

“Our duty is to elevate Turkish football to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth,” Hacıosmanoğlu said.

Turkish football has enjoyed a strong resurgence in recent years. The country will co-host the men’s UEFA Euro 2032 with Italy, the national team reached the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, and Istanbul has been selected by UEFA to stage several European club finals. - UNB