The next betting scandal: In Turkish football, 152 professional referees have active accounts with bookmakers – apparently, players and clubs are also involved

It was actually thought that the elimination of Besiktas Istanbul, with its luxury squad, against the modest Lausanne-Sport in the Conference League play-off would be the most memorable moment for Turkish football in the second half of 2025.

The embarrassment was topped last week by the undignified incidents surrounding the Europa League match between Fenerbahce and VfB Stuttgart , when VfB professional Deniz Undav, who is of Kurdish origin, was subjected to massive racist insults.

But what Turkish Football Association President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu revealed at a hastily arranged press conference on Monday took the matter to a new level: "It has been determined that of our 571 active referees in the professional leagues, 371 have betting accounts, and 152 of them are actively betting," Haciosmanoglu said. And what's more: On Tuesday, the broadcaster "Habertürk" reported, citing judicial sources, that investigations are also being conducted against clubs and players. Accordingly, 3,700 footballers are in the sights of the judiciary.

It is currently unclear whether referees are suspected of betting on matches they themselves officiated. This is a crucial point, because the phenomenon of gambling addiction, rapidly on the rise in the Western Hemisphere, affects no profession, including referees.

However, even having an account is prohibited under the regulations of the Turkish Football Association. Unlike in the NBA, where players are free to reduce their account balances with handicap bets in badminton or Czech table tennis.

In Turkey, this alone can result in a ban. Betting on matches that you referee yourself or that are refereed by colleagues, however, would represent a new level of quality. Especially since the betting options are by no means limited to victory or defeat. You can bet on how many cards are awarded, for example. It's a type of betting that's highly susceptible to manipulation. Especially in refereeing.

It's still unclear whether such collusion took place. According to Haciosmanoglu, what is certain is that several referees lost control of their lives at some point in recent years. Ten of the 152 referees with active bookmaker accounts are said to have placed more than 10,000 bets. For the top referee, the number is as high as 18,227. The public prosecutor's office has been investigating for several months.

It seems as if Turkish football could be on the verge of a turning point. Tiresome discussions have been swirling around the referees in the Süper Lig for some time. These occur in every country and in every sport, but not often to the extent that they do in Turkish football, which is notoriously overheated. So far, however, the general suspicion has mostly been match-fixing, not personal gain through sports betting.

The list of incidents is long: In December 2023, the president of Ankaragücü knocked down referee Halil Umut Meler after the club he led conceded a 1-1 equalizer against Rizespor in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

It's rhetoric that José Mourinho's predecessor, Jorge Jesus, had already used in 2023: "That wasn't the result we deserved with our performance in this game. Today's referees didn't match the level of the game. They failed! The VAR saw an infringement in front of Mert Hakan's goal, but didn't see both penalties (for Fenerbahce). They didn't want to see them. They couldn't see them. If the match had been officiated by fair referees, we would have won. If there were a fair association, we would be top of the table."

Fenerbahce coach José Mourinho, who has since been succeeded by former Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco, complained in February about what he claimed was systematic preferential treatment of city rivals Galatasaray: His team should be eight or nine points ahead of the table, complained Mourinho, whose team was eleven points behind at the end of the season.

In 2024, Fenerbahçe fielded its U-19 team in the Super Cup final against Galatasaray in protest against the Turkish Football Association. They were taken off the pitch after two minutes, and the match was abandoned and forfeited.

Fenerbahce's management reacted swiftly on Monday, like representatives of the other top clubs, demanding a "quick, comprehensive investigation." First, however, the question remains as to how the national football association (TFF) intends to ensure matches continue this weekend. Distrust of local referees—whether justified or not—is likely higher than ever. And it remains uncertain whether foreign referees can be flown in on such short notice. The top match between Galatasaray and Trabzonspor is scheduled for Saturday evening in Istanbul.