Mohamed Salah’s Club President Banned for 45 Days Over Sports Betting

^{Ertugrul Dogan, president of Trabzonspor}

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has handed 45-day bans to 147 current and former football club officials for breaching rules banning betting on football matches. The sanctions were announced in a decision published by the federation’s disciplinary committee on October 20.

The ruling follows an investigation that led to the provisional suspension of 448 officials from clubs in Turkey’s Süper Lig and the second-tier First League in early October.

After reviewing the cases, the committee found that 147 individuals had breached betting regulations. The remaining 301 escaped punishment after the committee found there were insufficient grounds for disciplinary action.

Among those banned is Ertugrul Dogan, president of Trabzonspor, the Turkish club where Egyptian star Mohamed Salah plays.

Meanwhile, former Beşiktaş vice president Hakan Daltaban, who was also named in the original list, avoided sanctions.

Under TFF regulations, football officials are prohibited from betting on football matches, regardless of whether their own clubs are involved. Violations normally carry bans ranging from three months to one year. However, the committee applied a mitigating provision, reducing the bans to 45 days.

During their bans, the officials are barred from taking part in football-related activities, carrying out their club duties or entering stadiums.

The published decision does not specify which matches the officials bet on, how much they wagered or which bookmakers they used. It also contains no allegations of match-fixing.