Scandal Erupts in Turkey: Hundreds of Football Referees Caught Betting on Matches

One of the biggest scandals in the history of Turkish football has erupted. A five-year investigation conducted by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) revealed that hundreds of referees and football officials had online betting accounts, and many of them actively placed bets on sports events, including matches they officiated.

According to the investigation, out of 571 referees and officials checked, 371 had betting accounts, and 152 actively placed bets. Among them were seven referees from the Super League and First League, as well as 15 assistant referees. One referee reportedly placed 18,227 bets in five years, while 42 others placed more than a thousand each.

Following the publication of the investigation results, the TFF announced the launch of disciplinary proceedings. Under federation rules, referees caught betting face suspension of up to one year. However, FIFA regulations foresee much stricter sanctions — up to three years of disqualification and fines of up to £95,000.

TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu stated that “the federation will not tolerate even the slightest violation of fair play principles” and promised to cleanse the system of corrupt referees. Sports ethics bodies and prosecutors have also joined the investigation to determine whether match-fixing attempts occurred.

Many Turkish clubs welcomed the probe, calling it a chance to “start with a clean slate.” On social networks, fans are recalling former Fenerbahçe coach José Mourinho’s words that in Turkey “the problem is not individual referees but the system.” Fans launched the hashtag “#MourinhoHakliydi” (“Mourinho was right”).

Sports analysts believe this case may become the biggest trust crisis in Turkish refereeing in decades. The TFF has already promised to publish the full investigation results in the coming weeks and carry out personnel changes among referees.