By Boluwatife Kehinde
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has revealed that 371 of the 571 active referees across the nation’s professional leagues have opened accounts with one or more of six online betting companies, according to Inside World Football.
During a press conference at the Riva Hasan Doğan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities, TFF officials disclosed that 152 referees were found to have placed bets on football matches.
TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu announced that Turkish football is at a “turning point,” declaring the federation’s commitment to eradicating corruption.
He confirmed that the TFF Disciplinary Committee will initiate immediate proceedings against those involved.
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“This is a defining moment for Turkish football,” Hacıosmanoğlu said. “We have worked closely with law enforcement and government institutions for months to uncover the full extent of this issue. I promise that we will cleanse Turkish football and restore its integrity. Clubs must also review their internal structures, including their players.”
According to the TFF, the revelations stemmed from a months-long collaborative investigation between the federation, police, and professional clubs.
The referees found to have bet on football were categorized as follows: seven from the Super League, 15 Super League assistant referees, 36 referees from lower divisions, and 94 assistant referees from the lower tiers.
While most wagers were reportedly placed on foreign football matches, officials did not clarify how many bets targeted Turkish fixtures or whether any referees bet on games they personally officiated.
It also remains unknown whether any collusion or coordinated betting took place among referees.
The investigation further showed that 10 referees bet on more than 10,000 matches each, with one referee alone wagering on 18,227 games. In total, 42 referees were found to have placed bets on over 1,000 matches individually.
Hacıosmanoğlu urged clubs to perform their own internal checks and emphasized that both he and the federation’s executive board are being examined by state authorities as part of a broader integrity review.
He stressed that the ongoing inquiries and resulting disciplinary measures are essential to restoring a “clean and ethical foundation” for Turkish football, promising that the TFF’s internal investigation results will be made public.
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The federation also confirmed that all evidence and findings have been submitted to FIFA and UEFA.
Hacıosmanoğlu concluded his remarks with a call for unity across the Turkish football community to nurture “moral and principled generations” of referees and players.
