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Turkey Suspends 149 Referees Over Betting as Investigation Widens

Government checks uncovered widespread betting by match officials, with judicial inquiries now reported to target clubs and thousands of players.

Overview

  • The Turkish Football Federation imposed 8–12 month bans on 149 referees and assistants, with cases for three others still under review.
  • Officials said 371 of 571 federated referees held betting accounts and 152 placed bets on football, including seven top-division referees and 15 assistants.
  • Investigators documented extreme wagering patterns, including ten referees with more than 10,000 bets each and one alleged to have bet on 18,227 matches.
  • Turkish outlet Habertürk, citing judicial sources, reported that probes now extend to clubs and roughly 3,700 players and may include reviews of communications.
  • Leading clubs Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş backed the drive for transparency, and local media reported that matches handled by sanctioned officials will not be replayed.