Over 1,000 Players Suspended In Widening Turkish Football Betting Scandal

More than 1,000 footballers have been suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) amid a massive betting scandal that has shaken the country’s football system to its core. Among those implicated is national team defender Eren Elmali, who plays for reigning champions Galatasaray.

TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu described the situation as a “moral crisis” and pledged to cleanse Turkish football of “all its filth.”

The federation announced that 1,024 players including 27 from the top-flight Super Lig — have been referred to a disciplinary committee. In response, all matches in the third and fourth divisions have been suspended for two weeks, while fixtures in the Super Lig and the second tier will continue as planned.

To help clubs cope with player shortages caused by the suspensions, the TFF said it is in talks with FIFA to secure a 15-day extension to the winter transfer window.

The scandal follows a series of investigations into widespread betting activity involving referees and now players, in violation of FIFA regulations. Last week, prosecutors issued detention warrants for 21 individuals, including 17 referees and the president of a top-flight club.

According to local media, eight people among them a club chairman were formally arrested on Monday as part of the expanding probe.

The controversy first erupted last month when the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistants after a government inquiry found that hundreds of match officials were connected to betting accounts. The investigation revealed that 371 of the country’s 571 active referees had gambling accounts, and 152 of them had allegedly placed bets on football matches — including seven top-level referees and 15 top-level assistants.

One referee was found to have wagered on an astonishing 18,227 games, while ten others each bet on over 10,000 matches across five years, the TFF said.

Speaking at a news conference, Hacıosmanoğlu reiterated the federation’s resolve: “Our duty is to restore integrity and elevate Turkish football to its rightful place. We will not stop until every trace of corruption is rooted out.”