​152 Active Referees in Turkey Have Placed Bets on Football; 10 Have Bet on Over 10,000 Matches in Past 5 Years

October 28 Report – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) recently conducted an internal investigation into referees. Today, the TFF held an official press conference to announce the findings and express its determination for reform.  

According to data released by the TFF, among the 571 active referees currently officiating in Turkish leagues, 371 had registered accounts with one or more betting companies. Of these, 152 were confirmed to have placed bets related to football matches.  

Among them, 42 referees had placed bets on over 1,000 matches, and 10 had bet on more than 10,000 matches in the past five years. One referee alone had placed bets on as many as 18,227 matches during this period.  

However, the TFF also noted that most of the bets were not placed on domestic leagues.  

Official TFF Announcement

At the press conference held at the Hasan Doğan National Team Training and Education Facility in Riva, TFF Vice Presidents Meknune Otyakmaz and Fuhat Göktas, Board Members Zafer Bahadır Sarı, Mevlüt Aktan, Hasan Sölez, Mustafa Temel Bozba, Bilal Arslan, Fazlı Çilingir, and Mehmet Akçay, TFF Secretary General Abdullah Ayaz, TFF Chief Advisor Yusuf Yerkel, Referee Committee President Ferhat Güdü, Representative Committee President Şerefeddin Bural, Assistant Secretary General for Sports Affairs Özcan Şepik, and Chief Legal Advisor and Assistant Secretary General for Administrative Affairs Er Kılıç were in attendance.  

TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu stated:  

"First, I extend my early congratulations to the respected people of Turkey watching us on television for Republic Day. I often quote the great leader Atatürk: 'I admire athletes who are intelligent, agile, and of high moral character.' But this does not imply that 'all others are unethical.' For months, we have worked with state institutions, long-time club administrators, and seasoned professionals in sports, who have sequentially explained the reasons behind the decline of Turkish football. Let me begin with a proverb: 'When the gun appears, courage vanishes.' We have a famous saying like this. As the Football Federation, we have decided to start cleaning up our own house first."  

Regarding the ongoing efforts, Hacıosmanoğlu shared:  

"We are aware that Turkish football needs change. To establish order, I will present some data. We started with the most critical yet problematic part of football—the referee system. According to data we obtained from state institutions and research by professional teams, there are 571 active referees in professional leagues, of whom 371 have registered accounts with one or more betting companies."  

"We should not prejudge them solely for having betting accounts, as they may have registered merely to watch matches. However, among these 371 referees with betting accounts, 152 were confirmed to have placed bets related to football matches. These referees are categorized by level as follows:  

- Top-tier Head Referees: 7  
- Top-tier Assistant Referees: 15  
- Standard Head Referees: 36  
- Standard Assistant Referees: 94  

Analysis of these referees' betting activities revealed:  

- 10 referees placed bets on over 10,000 matches  
- One referee alone placed bets on 18,227 matches  
- 42 referees placed bets on over 1,000 matches each  
- Some referees placed bets on only a single match  
- Most bets were placed on foreign leagues."  

"Starting today, our Disciplinary Committee will initiate the necessary procedures, complete the transfers as soon as possible, and impose penalties in accordance with the regulations."  

Hacıosmanoğlu pointed out that, under Turkish Law No. 6222, sports offenses committed by these individuals have a five-year statute of limitations.  

He said: "Our internal disciplinary code also stipulates a five-year limitation for pursuing their violations. The numbers I mentioned earlier all fall within this five-year period. As I stated at the beginning of my speech, since our election, my colleagues on the board and I have not sought to avoid conflict or cling to our positions long-term. Instead, we aim to restore Turkish football to its rightful place and cleanse it of impurities. If we wish to have a clean and upright Turkish football, we must strive together with all members of the football family. I call on all clubs: We have started the cleanup with the referees, and my board members and I are also undergoing self-investigation with the assistance of state institutions. The results will soon be made public. Beyond this, investigations into the entire football community are ongoing. We hope that, just as the Football Federation has started cleaning up from within, club presidents, board members, and players will also begin self-examination, starting with themselves, and make the results public."  

Hacıosmanoğlu emphasized the critical importance of this investigation for Turkish football:  

"We will continue to cooperate with relevant state institutions and make all results public. I have also submitted the findings of this investigation to FIFA and UEFA, as their regulations clearly address such matters. We regret that, despite the clearly written regulations, some referees still registered accounts in their own names and placed bets. We already have plans to train referees and will accelerate these efforts under the principle of 'those who remain are our own,' establishing courses in all 81 provinces. Previously, we signed an agreement with Yeditepe University to offer specialized referee training programs. Graduates of these programs will undergo systematic training at the university before joining the Turkish refereeing system."  

"We know this is a difficult path. As Republic Day approaches, we should work together to leave a future of integrity and moral character for our youth. We hope club presidents and administrators will show understanding and support when new referees make mistakes, as long as they are not intentional. If we unite our efforts, I am confident that a brighter tomorrow awaits us. With their support, we will surely restore Turkish football to its desirable heights."