Turkish football is currently facing a significant crisis of integrity following revelations from an internal investigation by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) that hundreds of active referees were engaged in betting activities.
TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu disclosed the findings, which were supported by comprehensive data from state institutions, highlighting what has been described as deeply rooted corruption within the domestic game.
The shocking audit revealed that a staggering 371 of the 571 active referees in the professional leagues held registered betting accounts.
Furthermore, 152 officials were found to have actively placed wagers, a direct violation of both TFF regulations and Law No. 6222 on preventing sports integrity offences, which strictly prohibits officials from betting on football.
The scale of the violation spans all divisions, implicating seven top-tier main referees, 15 elite assistants, 36 lower-division officials, and 94 assistant referees.
The betting activity was found to be extreme in certain instances; the investigation uncovered that ten individuals had placed over 10,000 bets each, with one referee placing a remarkable 18,227 wagers over a period of several years.
President Haciosmanoglu confirmed that disciplinary proceedings against the implicated officials have commenced immediately under the relevant national sporting laws.
The Turkish Football Federation has also officially submitted the findings to both FIFA and UEFA, ensuring the international governing bodies are fully briefed on the ongoing disciplinary process.
To address the foundational issues exposed by the scandal, the federation is preparing to implement a nationwide referee training initiative across all 81 provinces.
This program is a critical component of the TFF’s strategy to restore public confidence and enforce higher standards of professionalism across its officiating ranks.
Authorities are concurrently reviewing all betting and disciplinary data to investigate any potential links to match manipulation or broader criminal conduct within the sport.
