Turkey has suspended nearly 150 football referees and assistant referees amid an investigation into alleged match betting.
The first investigation found that 371 of 571 referees had at least one sports betting account. Speaking at a press conference on October 27, Turkey’s Football Federation (TFF) confirmed these figures and noted that 152 officials displayed unusual betting patterns.
Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, president of the Turkish Football Federation, told CNN:
“There is a moral crisis in Turkish football. There is no such thing as structure. The fundamental problem at the core of Turkish football is an ethical one.”
According to reports, 149 of these officials have received bans ranging from eight to twelve months. The investigation into three additional referees or assistant referees is still ongoing.
