Betting Scandal in Turkey: 32 Additional Club Executives Detained

^{İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF)}

Turkish authorities have detained 32 people as part of an expanding investigation into match-fixing and illegal betting in professional football, Reuters reported on February 20, citing the Istanbul prosecutor’s office.

Those detained include senior officials from football clubs. Prosecutors allege that the suspects placed bets on matches involving their own teams, including wagers on opposing sides during official fixtures.

Police operations were carried out across 10 provinces, with one suspect still at large. The prosecutor’s office has not disclosed the identities of those detained or the clubs involved.

The latest arrests form part of a broader campaign to combat corruption in Turkish football. The investigation also covers matches in the country’s top division, the Turkish Super Lig.

Previously, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees for involvement in betting on matches. The federation has also referred cases concerning more than 1,000 players from various divisions to disciplinary bodies after their names appeared in reviews of betting activity.

Gambling Park notes that the investigation is ongoing and is already regarded as one of the largest anti-corruption proceedings in the history of Turkish football.