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Turkey suspends 1,024 football players as gambling probe continues

The decision comes after hundreds of referees were found to be placing bets on matches.

3 min read
1024 players suspended in Turkey
Key Points
A total of 1,024 players have been referred to the disciplinary board
TFF 2 League and TFF 3 League will be delayed by two weeks, but TFF Super League and TFF 1 League will continue as normal
The TFF has requested 15 days to be added to the transfer window to account for disruption

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 1,024 players as part of an investigation into betting and match-fixing within the professional football leagues.

The players have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK), in accordance with Article 57 of the Football Disciplinary Instructions.

As so many players have been affected by this, the third and fourth divisions of Turkish football will also be suspended for two weeks - but the top two divisions will play as normal.

The TFF is currently urgently negotiating with FIFA to grant an extra 15 days to the winter transfer window for the 2025-2026 season to account for the disruptions this investigation will cause.

A full list of the 1,024 Turkish football players can be found on the TFF website, along with which clubs they are playing for.

Local reports also suggest that some clubs have had their presidents and chairmen arrested as part of the probe.

Indeed, the investigation into this match-fixing scandal began in October, escalating last week with the detention of 17 referees. Subsequently, warrants for 21 people were then issued, including referees, assistant referees and club officials after the TFF completed its internal audit.

The audit found that 371 of 571 active referees in the country had active betting accounts, while 152 of these bet on football matches.

During the review period, 42 referees placed more than 1,000 bets, while one referee made 18,227 wagers.

As such, 149 referees and assistant referees were suspended.

Good to know

Out of the 1,024 players, 47 were found to have only placed one bet

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