More than 1,000 soccer players were suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for their involvement in an illegal gambling scandal, according to The Associated Press.
Key takeaways
- Eren Elmali confirmed on his Instagram he bet on games years before he signed with Galatasaray.
- Coach Jose Mourinho accused Turkish referees of being involved in a scandal earlier this year.
- The TFF requested an extended transfer window to survive the sudden decrease in available players.
A total of 1,024 players, including 27 from Turkey's top flight of domestic soccer, the Süper Lig, were referred to a disciplinary commission.
In the wake of the scandal, matches in the third and fourth divisions of Turkish soccer have been suspended. The Süper Lig, led by defending champions Galatasaray, and the second division will continue as planned.
One of the suspended Galatasaray players is 25-year-old Eren Elmali. The defender was removed from Turkey’s international squad ahead of World Cup qualifying matches against Spain and Bulgaria.
Elmali, who joined Galatasaray after they won the league title last season, said in a statement posted to his Instagram that he bet on a game that did not involve his team five years ago.
Elmali’s teammate, 23-year-old Metehan Baltaci, was also included on the list published by the TFF. He has been with Galatasaray since 2021 but spent his first three seasons on loan in lower divisions of Turkish soccer.
Referees also involved in illegal sports betting
Monday’s reveal came one week after the TFF exposed a secret that had been hidden by more than one-fourth of active referees in Turkey.
According to the federation, 371 of 571 active officials had at least one account with betting operators, and 152 of them had bet on soccer. That included seven head officials and 15 assistants in charge of Süper Lig matches.
In total, 149 head and assistant referees were suspended, and three were kept under active investigation.
“The reputation of Turkish soccer is built on the sanctity of the effort on the field and the unwavering integrity of justice,” federation president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said in a statement. “Any act that betrays these values is not merely a violation of the rules, but a breach of trust.
Legendary Portuguese manager and two-time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho was in charge of Süper Lig participant Fenerbahce in 2024 and 2025. In January of this year, he accused the referees of being involved in a scandal and threatened to boycott the Turkish Cup.
"I never saw anything like this before, it's a scandal" 💬
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 6, 2025
Jose Mourinho has launched a scathing attack on referees in Turkey with Fenerbahce considering boycotting the Turkish Cup in protest 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/YXoeaRVVzf
A 'moral crisis'
In an attempt to help clubs survive the scandal, the TFF opened discussions with governing body FIFA to request a 15-day extension to the January transfer window to help clubs deal with the lack of available players. Hacıosmanoğlu described the ordeal as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.”
“Our duty is to elevate Turkish football to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth,” he said during a news conference two weeks ago.
Galatasaray and other top-level Turkish clubs are expected to be back in action Nov. 22.
