More than 150 referees in Turkey are under investigation for allegedly betting on football matches, the Turkish Football Federation has confirmed. The inquiry follows the discovery that hundreds of officials held accounts with betting companies.
Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu revealed that a total of 371 out of 571 active referees were found to have at least one account with a betting company. Of these, 152 referees allegedly placed bets on football matches, including seven top-level referees and 15 top-level assistant referees.
The investigation also highlighted the scale of betting among some officials. Ten referees allegedly placed wagers on more than 10,000 matches each over a five-year period. One referee reportedly bet on 18,227 games, while 42 officials allegedly bet on more than 1,000 matches each.
Speaking about the findings, Mr Haciosmanoglu said: “We know Turkish football needs a change. Our duty is to elevate Turkish football to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth. As a federation, we started by cleaning up our own backyard.”
Among those with betting accounts were seven top-level referees, 15 top-level assistants, 36 classified referees, and 94 classified assistants. The federation confirmed that cases will be addressed immediately, signalling a firm stance against corruption and betting-related offences within Turkish football.
The scandal has raised serious concerns about integrity in the sport, with calls for significant reforms to restore public confidence and ensure transparency in Turkish football.
