Among the athletes involved in the investigation by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, 27 athletes belonging to Besiktas, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor. Handcuffs to Murat Özkaya, president of Eyüpspor. The accusation is abuse of office and sporting manipulation of match results
Nineteen people arrested and over a thousand footballers from various leagues suspended. It is the balance – in all likelihood not definitive – of the scandal discovered in Türkiye and linked to illegal betting in football. According to what was reported by the Istanbul authorities, among the people who ended up in handcuffs there are sixteen referees and club managers, such as Murat Özkaya, president of Eyüpspor, and Fatih Saraç, former president of Kasımpaşa. In total, arrest warrants have been issued for twenty-one people involved in the illegal system of betting on football matches Super Leaguethe Turkish top flight.
the investigation
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The accusation for those arrested – in the investigation launched by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office – is of abuse of office and sporting manipulation of the results of matches in a scenario that would tend to be much more widespread. The Turkish Football Federation (Tff) suspended 1,024 professional and semi-professional players, of which twenty-seven belonging to prestigious clubs such as Besiktas, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, which play in Super League, equivalent to the Italian Serie A. The athletes would have bet on football matches and in some cases would have even influenced or altered the results on the field with their performances.
referees
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Furthermore, out of 571 referees active in Turkey, 371 would hold accounts with betting companies and 152 would have placed bets on matches: the latter have already been suspended indefinitely. Having taken note of the development of the investigations, the Fintech Papara Elektronik Para AOthe main platform used for betting payments, was placed under observation by the authorities and its operating authorization was revoked.
sanctions
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The sanctions provided by the Turkish Football Federation for the referees involved range from eight to twelve months of suspension, although it is not yet clear whether the match officials also bet on the matches they directed. Meanwhile, the investigations continue and there is a risk that other important figures in Turkish football could be involved.
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