Turkey’s football federation (TFF) imposed various bans on 102 players from the top two tiers of its league on Thursday (November 13) as part of an investigation into allegations of betting on matches. Galatasaray’s Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci are among the punishments.
The TFF has taken a tough stance on “betting on football matches,” as it suspended 149 referees and assistant referees earlier this month after an investigation found that officials working in the country’s professional leagues were involved in the activity.
The investigation was expanded on Monday, with eight people arrested, including Murat Özkaya, chairman of top-tier club Eyüpspor, and 1,024 players suspended from all leagues as the investigation continues. The TFF also suspended matches in the second and third tiers for two weeks.
In a statement, the federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Council (PFDK) announced the bans that local media said included players from the top-tier Super League (25) and the second tier (75).
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The PFDK imposed bans of 45 days and nine months on Galatasaray’s Elmali and Baltaci, respectively. On the other hand, some players were banned for 45 days to 12 months. The disciplinary board did not announce any action against the remaining players under investigation.
Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, president of the Turkish Football Federation, described the situation as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.”
Reuters reported that the TFF’s own investigation found that 371 of the 571 active referees in Turkey’s professional leagues had betting accounts. Of these, 152 referees were actively gambling.
This article includes reporting from Reuters.