Türkiye orders arrest of 17 referees and club president in major football betting probe
Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of 21 people, including 17 referees and the president of a Super Lig club, over alleged betting and match-fixing in professional football.
18 suspects have already been detained as part of the sweeping operation spanning 12 cities across Türkiye, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said the referees are accused of abuse of duty and manipulating match results. In addition to the referees, a club president, a former club owner, and a former association head were also ordered detained. Another suspect faces charges for spreading misleading information on social media.
The arrests follow last week’s decision by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to suspend 149 referees and assistant referees after an internal probe revealed widespread illegal betting among match officials.
TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu described the scandal as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.”
The federation’s investigation found that 371 of 571 active referees had betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling. Some referees placed thousands of bets — one reportedly made 18,227 bets, while 42 others wagered on more than 1,000 football matches each.
As part of disciplinary measures, the TFF’s board has imposed bans of 8 to 12 months on 149 officials involved in betting activities.
The probe marks one of the biggest corruption scandals in Turkish football history, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the game in the country.
Similar news
