The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 1,024 players amid ongoing investigations into a betting scandal.
A five-year investigation uncovered that approximately 371 out of 571 match officials in Turkey possess betting accounts and are involved in gambling.
According to the BBC, the probe revealed that 42 referees had placed bets on more than 1,000 football matches, with one official found to have placed 18,227 bets.
Hundreds of Turkish referees caught in betting scandal
Turkey’s Football Federation has vowed to investigate the report thoroughly and bring perpetrators to justice if found guilty of the allegations.
The federation stated that players caught in the scandal, including 27 from Turkey’s top flight, have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.
Some of the players are said to be from the lower divisions, which has led to matches in the third and fourth tiers being adjourned for two weeks, while the main league continues.
Due to the situation, the TFF has requested that FIFA grant an additional 15 days to the winter transfer window for affected clubs to fill vacancies in their squads.
Turkish media reports indicate that Galatasaray players are involved in the scandal, with eight officials, including the chairman, detained to assist with the probe.
Defender Eren Elmali, who was supposed to be part of the Turkey national team, was later omitted to face authorities for questioning.
According to TFF regulations, players and match officials are barred from participating in betting activities as part of the disciplinary code.
Referees found guilty of the charges could face up to a one-year ban, while Article 27 of the FIFA Code of Ethics states that such officials “could face a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (£94,246) and a ban of up to three years from all football-related activities.”
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Meanwhile, watch the feature about Swedru All Blacks’ journey from the Division One to the GPL below
