Betting scandal hits Turkish football as 448 club officials face disciplinary action
The TFF referred 448 current and former club figures to disciplinary proceedings; arrests were made in a separate refereeing investigation.
The Turkish Football Federation has suspended and referred 448 current and former club officials to disciplinary proceedings in a wide-ranging betting probe, the federation announced on 1 October 2026.
Those placed under discipline include people who held office at clubs in the Süper Lig and the Second League during the past five years and are alleged to have bet while serving in their roles. About 171 of the 448 named were connected to clubs in the top flight, the Süper Lig.
Among the individuals singled out are Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan and Besiktas vice-president Hakan Daltaban, along with several current and former officials from Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
Separate judicial probe targets refereeing body
At the same time, authorities are conducting a separate investigation into alleged irregularities within the refereeing organisation. As part of that inquiry, the head of the Central Refereeing Committee, Ferhat Gundogdu, his deputy and five others have been arrested. The probe examines possible influence over referee rankings, evaluations and assignments, and alleged problems with referee examinations.
So far, officials have not confirmed a direct link between the betting investigation and the refereeing probe.
The current scandal follows last year’s operation in which the federation suspended 149 referees and 1,024 players over alleged involvement in illicit betting activities.
Photo: press material from the event
