Turkish Football Federation Investigates 448 Club Officials

Istanbul – AFP – The Turkish Football Federation has referred 448 club administrators, including some of the country’s most prominent officials, to its disciplinary committee as part of an investigation into betting.

The announcement came 48 hours after the Justice Minister announced the arrest of the head of the Turkish Football Association’s Arbitration Board and six other individuals in connection with a corruption probe.

It was not immediately clear whether the two cases were linked, although the Turkish Football Federation issued a statement referencing last year’s scandal that led to the suspension of 149 referees suspected of involvement in an illegal betting scandal.

The statement said: “As part of the Turkish Football Federation’s investigation into betting, 448 individuals have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee.”

It clarified that these individuals “held executive positions in clubs competing in the Turkish Football Federation’s Super League and First League during the 2026-2027 season, and it has been established that they placed bets while holding their positions over the past five years.”

The list includes dozens of names from Turkish First League clubs, including the president of Trabzonspor, the vice-president of Beşiktaş, and several current and former officials from Galatasaray, as well as three former officials from Fenerbahçe.

The recent arrests are part of an investigation in which prosecutors believe the suspects illegally influenced referees’ ratings, examinations, and match assignments through document forgery and systematic intimidation, according to Turkish media reports.