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Turkey Suspends 149 Referees Over Betting as Probes Widen

Media report judicial inquiries may reach clubs alongside thousands of players, with phone records under review.

Overview

  • The Turkish Football Federation issued 8–12 month bans to 149 referees and assistants, with proceedings continuing for three others.
  • Government findings said 371 of 571 active officials held betting accounts and 152 wagered on football, including 22 from the Süper Lig.
  • The federation cited extreme activity by some officials, with 10 placing bets on more than 10,000 matches each and one making about 18,277 bets.
  • Habertürk, citing judicial sources, reported the inquiry could expand to clubs and roughly 3,700 players and that investigators are examining phone records.
  • Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş urged transparent handling to restore trust, while local media say matches will not be replayed and authorities have not stated whether bets involved games the officials handled, with harsher penalties still possible.