TFF suspends 149 Referees in massive betting scandal crackdown

‎Boluwatife Kehinde
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‎The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has launched a major purge of the league’s officiating ranks, suspending 149 referees accused of engaging in betting activities.
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‎In a bid to restore integrity and promote fair competition, the TFF announced that its disciplinary committee had issued suspensions ranging from eight to twelve months. The federation added that investigations are still ongoing into three additional referees.
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‎According to Inside World Football, the TFF disclosed that 371 of the country’s 571 active referees have opened accounts with at least one of six online betting platforms.
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‎“Refereeing is a profession built on honour,” said TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu on Thursday. “Anyone who damages that honour will never again have a place in Turkish football.”
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‎The federation further revealed that among those involved were seven match referees and fifteen assistant referees, who are currently active in the top-flight league.
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‎The federation officials reported that ten referees placed more than 10,000 bets each, with one individual recording a staggering 18,227 wagers. In addition, forty-two referees each placed bets on more than 1,000 football matches.
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‎ However, the federation president did not clarify whether any of the accused had bet on games they themselves officiated.