The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and İstanbul prosecutors have launched separate investigations against more than 150 professional referees for allegedly placing bets, including 22 officials from the country’s top-tier Süper Lig.
An internal investigation within the federation found that 371 out of 571 active referees across professional leagues held betting accounts, and 152 were actively involved in gambling, TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu announced today at a pressconference at the federations's headquarters in İstanbul. Among the top-tier officials, seven were referees and 15 were assistant referees.
“We have started by cleaning up our own house,” Hacıosmanoğlu remarked. “The referee community, which is both the pride and the problem area of Turkish football, was our starting point.”
Systematic gambling
The data, gathered in cooperation with government agencies and professional analysts, indicated that betting activity ranged from isolated instances to systematic gambling, according to the president. “One referee placed bets 18,227 times. Ten referees placed bets exceeding 10,000 liras, and 42 referees bet on more than 1,000 different matches," he said.
Disciplinary proceedings will begin immediately, according to the TFF. Hacıosmanoğlu said the referees would be referred to the disciplinary board and sanctioned in accordance with federation guidelines.
He also confirmed that the investigation’s findings had been shared with FIFA and UEFA.
“We began with referees. That includes myself and my executive board. We’ve also been reviewed through the same channels. We will share those results too,” he said. “Just as we are cleaning up our own doorstep as the TFF, the rest of the football community, especially club presidents, should do the same, starting with themselves and their boards, and including their players.”
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Criminal investigation
Separately, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has released a statement, revealing that they had been investigating betting allegations involving referees since April for suspected violations of
In a second statement released later in the day, the prosecutor's office announced that it began taking statements from the relevant referees and their bank accounts and financial transactions were being examined.
Under Article 11 of Law No. 6222 on Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports, anyone found to have offered profit or advantage to influence the result of a sporting event can face one to three years in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 judicial days.
Even reaching an agreement on such gain is enough to constitute a crime. If the offense is committed to manipulate betting outcomes, the sentence is increased by half. (VK)
