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

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

According to data released by the TFF, among the 571 active referees currently in Turkey’s leagues, 371 have opened accounts with one or more betting companies, and 152 of them have been confirmed to have placed bets related to football matches.

Among these, 42 referees have placed bets on more than 1,000 matches, and 10 have placed over 10,000 bets in the past 5 years. One referee alone has placed bets on as many as 18,227 matches in the recent 5 years.

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

Official Announcement of the Turkish Football Federation

At the press conference held at the Hasan Doğan National Team Training and Education Facility of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in Riva, Vice Presidents Meknun Ötyakmaz and Fuat Göktaş, Board Members Zafer Bahadır Sarac, Mevlüt Aktaş, Hasan Sülü, Mustafa Temel Bozba, Bilal Arslan, Fazıl Çilingir, Mehmet Akçay, TFF Secretary General Abdullah Ayaz, TFF Chief Advisor Yusuf Yerkel, Referee Committee Chairman Ferhat Güdürdu, Representative Committee Chairman Şerafettin Bular, Assistant Secretary General for Sports Affairs Özcan Şepik, and Assistant Secretary General for Administrative Affairs & Chief Legal Counsel Er Keleçi were also present.

Hacıosmanoğlu said: “First of all, I would like to congratulate the esteemed people of the Republic of Turkey in advance on Republic Day, who are watching us on TV. I have quoted a sentence from the great leader Atatürk many times—‘I like athletes who are intelligent, agile and virtuous.’ But beyond that, there is no such statement as ‘everyone else is immoral.’ For months, we have been working with state institutions, people who have managed clubs for a long time, and senior figures in the sports industry, and they have respectively explained the reasons for the decline of Turkish football. I would like to start with a proverb—‘After the gun appears, courage disappears.’ (Note: It means that once something gains an overwhelming advantage, the resistance force will seem insignificant; here it refers to the prevalence of corruption and gambling.) We have such a famous proverb. We have decided that, as the football federation, we will first rectify our own courtyard.”

Regarding the ongoing work, TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu stated:“We know that Turkish football needs change. To establish order, I will provide some data. We start with the most important yet most 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, among whom 371 have opened accounts with one or more betting companies.

We should not be biased just because they have betting accounts; they may have registered just to watch matches. But among these 371 referees with betting accounts, 152 have been confirmed to have placed bets related to football matches. These referees are classified by level as follows:

Top-tier main referees: 7

Top-tier assistant referees: 15

Regular-tier main referees: 36

Regular-tier assistant referees: 94

Analysis of these referees’ betting activities shows:

A total of 10 referees have placed bets on more than 10,000 matches

One referee alone has placed bets on 18,227 matches

42 referees have each placed bets on more than 1,000 matches

Some referees have placed bets on only one match;

Most of the matches bet on are from foreign leagues.

Starting today, our disciplinary committee will initiate necessary procedures, complete the handover as soon as possible, and impose corresponding penalties in accordance with regulations.”

Hacıosmanoğlu pointed out that according to Turkey’s Law No. 6222, there is a 5-year statute of limitations for prosecuting sports crimes committed by these individuals.

He said: “Our internal penalty guidelines stipulate that there is also a 5-year statute of limitations for tracing their violations. The figures I just mentioned all fall within this 5-year period. As I said at the beginning of my speech, since we were elected, my colleagues on the board and I have not been working to get along with others and keep our positions for a long time, but to return Turkish football to where it should be and eliminate the filth in it. If we want to have a clean and upright Turkish football, we must work together with all members of the football family. I call on all clubs: We have started rectification from the referee sector, and my colleagues on the board and I are also undergoing self-investigation with the assistance of state institutions. The results will be announced to the public soon. In addition, investigations into the entire football industry are continuing. We hope that just as the football federation starts cleaning from itself, club presidents, board members, and players will also start from themselves, conduct self-examinations, and announce the results to the public.”

Hacıosmanoğlu emphasized that this investigation is crucial for Turkish football: “We will continue to cooperate with relevant state institutions and announce all results to the public. I have also submitted the results of this investigation to FIFA and UEFA, and their regulations also have clear instructions on this. We regret that although the regulations are very clear, some referees still opened accounts in their own names and placed bets. We already have a plan to train referees, and we will accelerate it with the concept of ‘those who stay are our own people,’ and set up courses in 81 provinces across the country. Previously, we have signed an agreement with Yeditepe University to launch special referee training courses. Students of these courses will receive systematic training at the university before joining the Turkish referee system.

We know this is a difficult path. As Republic Day approaches, we should work together to leave an upright and virtuous future for young people. It is hoped that club presidents and managers will show understanding and support when new referees make mistakes, as long as they are not intentional. If we work together, I firmly believe that a bright tomorrow is waiting for us. With their support, we will definitely return Turkish football to a desirable height.”