Monday 27/October/2025 – 06:10 PM
In one of the most serious cases to hit Turkish football in recent years, President… Turkish Football Federation Ibrahim Haci Osmanoglu revealed shocking details related to the involvement of a large number of referees in illegal betting activities, which sparked widespread controversy within the sports community and ignited the anger of fans and clubs alike.
Statements of the President of the Turkish Football Federation
During a press conference held today at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation, Haci Osmanoglu announced that 371 out of 571 referees working in Turkish professional tournaments have betting accounts, while 152 of them actively participate in these activities, which he described as a “moral earthquake” that requires radical reform in the arbitration system.
The president of the federation added that the investigations were conducted in cooperation with the relevant government institutions, and that the results showed “numbers that cannot be tolerated,” noting that one of the referees made more than 18,000 individual bets, while 40 referees exceeded the barrier of a thousand bets during the last period.
Investigations and disciplinary procedures
The Federation explained that it referred all the names involved to the Disciplinary Council, and began coordinating with the International and European Football Associations to take appropriate measures.
According to the disciplinary regulations, the penalties may extend to a suspension of three months to a full year, with the possibility of being tightened if it is proven that some bets are linked to the results of official matches.
The reaction of Turkish clubs
The case caused angry reactions in the Turkish sports community, as club fans expressed their shock on social media, considering that what happened “loses confidence in the integrity of competitions.”
Besiktas Club was the first club to issue an official statement following the conference, in which it expressed its appreciation for the efforts made by the Turkish Federation, but demanded the public disclosure of the names of the referees involved and the matches on which bets were made.
The club said in its statement: We call on the Turkish Football Federation to transparently disclose to the public the names of the referees who have betting accounts, and the types of bets they placed, and we will continue to pursue the case with all possible legal means to restore our rights retroactively.
Major clubs such as Fenerbahce and Galatasaray also called for a comprehensive review of the arbitration system and the imposition of strict control over the behavior of referees.
International echoes
European and international media widely reported the news, describing what was happening in Türkiye as “the biggest betting scandal in the history of modern arbitration.”
The British newspaper The Guardian indicated that the Turkish Federation “faces a decisive test to restore confidence,” while Reuters confirmed that the Federation has begun coordination with judicial authorities to legally prosecute those involved.
