Turkish authorities arrest eight people, including a top-tier club chairman, in a probe into alleged betting on football matches, while the football federation suspends 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations.
Turkish authorities have formally arrested eight people, including Eyupspor Chairman Murat Ozkaya, in connection with an investigation into alleged betting on football matches. The arrests come as part of a wider probe into match-fixing and illegal betting in Turkish football.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations, including 27 players from the top-tier Super Lig. The suspended players include members of champions Galatasaray and Istanbul rivals Besiktas.
The TFF’s investigation revealed that 371 of 571 active referees in Turkey’s professional leagues had betting accounts, and 152 of them were actively gambling. One referee had bet 18,227 times, and 42 referees had bet on more than 1,000 football matches each.
TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the situation as a “moral crisis in Turkish football”. The TFF has initiated negotiations with FIFA to grant a 15-day transfer and registration period to allow clubs to complete their squad deficiencies.
The investigation has also led to the suspension of matches in the second and third-tier leagues for two weeks. The TFF board is set to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation.
The international football community is watching the situation closely, with FIFA yet to comment on the probe.
