Istanbul: The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday suspended 149 referees accused of betting on matches.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, The TFF stated that its disciplinary committee had issued suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months for the referees involved. Investigations are still ongoing concerning three other referees. An internal investigation conducted by the federation into 571 referees in the Turkish professional leagues disclosed on Monday that 371 of them had sports betting accounts, with 152 actively engaging in betting activities.
TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu emphasized the gravity of the situation, declaring on Thursday, “Refereeing is a profession of honour. Anyone who tarnishes that honour…will never again be involved in Turkish football.” The federation’s findings disclosed that among the suspended officials, 22 referees-comprising seven match referees and 15 assistants-are active in the top league.
Disturbingly, ten referees had placed more than 10,000 bets each, with one individual placing an astonishing 18,227 bets. Additionally, 42 referees each bet on more than 1,000 football matches. TFF’s head of football further clarified on Friday that the specifics regarding whether any of these referees had bet on matches they officiated remain undisclosed.
In light of these revelations, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has also launched a separate investigation to delve deeper into the matter.