Turkish football has been hit by a massive corruption scandal after it emerged that 371 referees out of 571 active match officials in the country’s professional leagues hold accounts with betting companies — and at least 152 have placed bets directly on football matches.
Gatekeepers News reports that the revelation was made at a Turkish Football Federation (TFF) press conference on Tuesday at the TFF Riva Hasan Doğan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities.
TFF president İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu described the findings as a “turning point” for Turkish football, vowing to launch a comprehensive clean-up of the sport.
“Turkish football needs change,” he said. “We have been working with the police and state authorities for months to establish the level of corruption. I promise that we will clean up Turkish football and bring it to the level it deserves. The clubs must also investigate themselves, including the players.”
According to the TFF, the investigation was conducted in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and professional clubs, and disciplinary proceedings are set to begin immediately.
The data showed that seven Super League referees, 15 Super League assistant referees, 36 referees in lower divisions, and 94 assistant referees had bet on football matches.
While most of the betting activity involved foreign leagues, the federation did not clarify whether any referees had wagered on matches in Turkey — or on games in which they officiated. There was also no public evidence of collusion among referees.
However, the investigation uncovered alarming betting patterns: 10 referees had placed wagers on more than 10,000 matches, with one referee betting on 18,227 games. Another 42 referees were found to have bet on over 1,000 matches each.
Hacıosmanoğlu said the scandal would mark the start of an institutional reform within Turkish football, adding that both he and the TFF board are under review by state institutions.
“This is about restoring clean and moral Turkish football,” he said. “We will share the results of the investigation publicly and ensure transparency.”
The TFF president confirmed that the information has been shared with FIFA and UEFA, urging full cooperation from all stakeholders to rebuild trust in the game.
He also announced plans to accelerate the training of young referees, including new courses across 81 provinces and a dedicated programme at Yeditepe University to nurture “good and moral generations” of referees and players.
