Turkish football has been plunged into crisis after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) revealed today that a staggering 371 out of 571 active professional referees hold accounts with at least one of six betting companies, with 152 officials having placed bets directly on football matches.
The explosive announcement was made by TFF president İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu at a press conference held at the TFF Riva Hasan Doğan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities. Hacıosmanoğlu, pictured at the event, declared that “Turkish football needs change,” and signalled the start of an immediate “cleaning up” process to eradicate corruption from the game.
Immediate Disciplinary Action Promised
The data, compiled over months of intense investigation involving the TFF, state authorities, and professional clubs, paints a grim picture of the extent of betting within the officiating ranks. Hacıosmanoğlu confirmed that the TFF Disciplinary Committee will immediately initiate disciplinary action against the implicated officials.
“This is a turning point for Turkish football. We have been working with the police and people from the authorities for months to establish the level of corruption,” Hacıosmanoğlu stated. “I promise that we will clean up Turkish football and bring it to the level it deserves. The clubs must also investigate themselves, including the players.”
The breakdown of officials who have bet on matches is as follows:
Super League Referee: 7
Super League Assistant Referee: 15
Lower Divisions Referee: 36
Lower Divisions Assistant Referee: 94
While the TFF noted that most of the bets were placed on foreign league matches, the federation has not yet provided data on how many bets were placed on domestic Turkish games. Crucially, there is currently no information on whether officials bet on games they officiated or if there was any suspected collusion among colleagues.
High-Volume Betting Uncovered
The investigation brought to light an alarming volume of betting activity among some officials. The data revealed that 10 referees have each bet on over 10,000 football matches, with one official alone placing bets on 18,227 games. In total, 42 referees individually bet on more than 1,000 games.
Call for Widespread Investigations
Attended by key TFF officials including deputy chairman Mecnun Otyakmaz and board member Fuat Göktaş, the press conference served as a rallying cry for self-scrutiny across the sport.
Hacıosmanoğlu urged football clubs to launch their own internal investigations and disclosed that he and the TFF Board of Directors are also currently being investigated by state institutions.
Stressing the importance of these actions for the restoration of a “clean and moral Turkish football,” the TFF president confirmed that the findings have been shared with FIFA and UEFA. He promised that the results of the TFF’s own investigation will be made public.
To cultivate a new generation of untainted officials, the TFF announced plans to accelerate its work on training young referees, including through new courses in 81 provinces and a special programme at Yeditepe University. Hacıosmanoğlu concluded with a plea for cooperation among the entire football community to ensure “good and moral generations” of referees and players.
