In a shocking revelation, Turkey's soccer federation has announced that it will initiate disciplinary proceedings against hundreds of professional match officials found to have soccer betting accounts. A five-year investigation has revealed that 371 out of 571 match officials have accounts, with 152 of those actively participating in gambling.
While some officials had placed only a single bet, 42 officials had bet on more than 1,000 soccer matches. One official was found to have placed a staggering 18,227 bets. The list of officials includes seven referees and 15 assistant referees from Turkey's top two divisions, as well as 36 "classified" referees and 94 assistants from the level below.
Match officials, like players and coaches, are prohibited from participating in betting activities under the disciplinary regulations of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), FIFA, and UEFA.
Under TFF rules, officials found guilty could face a ban of up to one year. Article 27 of the FIFA Code of Ethics states that referees found to have placed bets could face a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (£94,246) and a ban of up to three years from all football-related activities.
This revelation could mark a turning point for Turkish soccer, a sport long overshadowed by controversies surrounding referees and even incidents of violence against them. This is not the first time refereeing has been at the centre of debate in Turkey. For years, officials have faced fierce criticism for their performances. But this time, the issue runs far deeper and involves far more than a few individuals.
Among the numbers released by the TFF are seven elite referees qualified to officiate in the Turkish Super Lig, the country's top division. Adding to the gravity of the situation, prosecutors confirmed that an official investigation into the allegations began back in April.
Many questions remain unanswered. Who are these referees? How many matches have they officiated in recent years? Were any of those matches linked to their betting activity? Did they know about each other's involvement - or even place bets on each other's games?
The scale of the allegations has shaken confidence in the game to its core. Several commentators in Turkey have called for league matches to be suspended until the investigation is complete, arguing that innocent referees are now unfairly caught under a cloud of suspicion.
Others suggest this moment should accelerate calls for foreign referees to be brought in - a proposal that has surfaced repeatedly in recent years. Yet, the calendar moves on. Two matches are scheduled for Monday night, and the league is set to continue this week.
What is certain is that Turkish refereeing will never be viewed the same way again. The entire sport in Turkey will now be deeply sceptical about any future matches. This scandal has the potential to change the face of Turkish football forever.
