Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said Friday that 3,700 football players are under investigation as part of an expanding probe into illegal betting in Turkish football.
Speaking on a TV program, Hacıosmanoğlu said the federation’s sweeping inquiry – which has already resulted in the suspension of 152 referees and assistants – marks “the beginning of a revolution” in Turkish football.
“If there’s a corrupt structure, we must clean it up together,” he said. “This is not a crisis point – it’s the start of rebuilding Turkish football, which has already hit rock bottom. Lists of players have arrived, and their analysis is underway. About 3,700 people are being examined. Within a week or 10 days, they will be referred [to disciplinary bodies].”
Hacıosmanoğlu added that the investigation will eventually include not only players but also match observers, representatives and other sports officials.
“Let’s clean up what’s in front of us and move forward. What’s been revealed means draining the swamp,” he said. “We’ve just begun, and this will continue until we reach a full conclusion.”
He emphasized that the TFF maintains close cooperation with UEFA and FIFA. “No other federation has such close relations – both personally and institutionally. We have their full support in everything we are doing,” he said.
The TFF president revealed that the investigation began in April, following suspicions surrounding a match between Ankaraspor and Nazilli Belediyespor.
“The score benefited both teams, and we discovered that betting took place on both sides,” he said.
“We imposed the maximum penalty allowed. We expected around 15 referees to be implicated, but the numbers turned out to be much higher.”
Hacıosmanoğlu noted that while some referees face up to 45-day suspensions, their cases are still pending arbitration. “Once finalized, they will be permanently dismissed,” he said.
