The Turkish Football Federation has taken action against more than 1,000 players, with 27 of them coming from the top league, in response to a significant betting scandal involving alleged bets on matches. A total of 1,024 footballers are under scrutiny as part of an ongoing investigation, and all individuals involved have been referred to the country’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).
Amid the probe, reigning champions and current league leaders Galatasaray have had one player, Eren Elmali, linked to the controversy, while Istanbul-based Besiktas have two players facing investigation by the PFDK. Despite this, Besiktas has expressed confidence in the innocence of their unnamed players. Elmali, who recently joined Galatasaray, admitted on Instagram to placing a bet on a game not involving his team around five years ago.
To manage the fallout, matches in the lower tiers of Turkish football have been postponed for two weeks, with only top-tier and second-tier games continuing. The President of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, described the situation as a “moral crisis” and emphasized the need to restore integrity in Turkish football.
In response to the ongoing scandal, the TFF has requested FIFA to grant a 15-day extension for transfers and registrations during the winter window to allow clubs to address squad shortages resulting from the investigation. Meanwhile, local reports indicate that Turkish authorities have made eight arrests, including a club chairman, with detention orders issued for 21 individuals, including referees and club officials.
The investigation, spanning five years, has already led to the banning of 149 officials. It has been revealed that out of 571 referees, 371 had gambling accounts, with 152 actively using them. Shockingly, one referee was found to have placed 18,227 bets. The TFF has confirmed that three officials are still under investigation and may face penalties.
Former Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, known for criticizing refereeing standards, called for media attention on the issue. While there is no indication that his team was involved in the betting scandal, Mourinho urged the media to address the situation.
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