The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an explosive investigation revealed widespread involvement of match officials in betting activities.
The TFF confirmed on Friday that it had imposed bans of eight to 12 months on the officials depending on the seriousness of their actions, while three additional referees are under investigation.
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The federation also published the full list of penalized officials on its official website.
According to the findings of a five-year investigation, 371 out of 571 professional match officials in Turkey were found to have betting accounts, of which 152 were actively gambling.
Some placed only a few bets, but others were heavily involved – 42 officials placed bets on more than 1,000 matches, and one was found to have placed an astonishing 18,227 bets.
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Under TFF, FIFA and UEFA rules, referees and match officials are strictly prohibited from being involved in betting activities.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the scandal as a reflection of deep ethical issues within Turkish football.
“There is a moral crisis in Turkish football. The core problem is moral,” he told CNN on Friday. “If there is even one referee who has not been paid, I will resign as federation president. We have improved their salaries last year and again this year.”
The scandal has shocked Turkish football and led to a strong reaction from major clubs.
Besiktas said the revelations “could be a new beginning for clean football.”
Trabzonspor called it “a historic opportunity to rebuild justice in Turkish football”.
Fenerbahce president Sedettin Saran said, “This is shocking and deeply sad for Turkish football. But the fact that this is coming to light is a promising development.”
