Top clubs are also affected
Betting scandal: Türkiye bans over 1,000 players
November 11, 2025 – 5:20 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The Turkish Football Association is taking action in the confusion surrounding the involvement of players and officials in betting transactions. Players from large clubs are also said to be affected.
The betting scandal is spreading further in Turkish football. According to the national association, 1,024 players have now been temporarily suspended. As the Turkish Football Association (TFF) announced on Monday evening, the cases were handed over to the disciplinary commission for professional football due to alleged involvement in betting fraud.
27 players from the Süper Lig are also affected – including professionals from the top clubs Beşiktaş and Galatasaray, for which former Bayern star Leroy Sané and ex-DFB captain İlkay Gündoğan also play. Upon request, the TFF announced that the affected players would not be allowed to play until further notice.
A court in Istanbul has now issued an arrest warrant for eight suspects. According to media reports, Murat Özkaya, president of the second division club Eyüpspor, is one of them.
At the end of October, the TFF had already made it public that 152 referees were said to have actively placed bets. The judiciary is now also investigating clubs and players. The association has suspended 149 referees and assistant referees for periods between eight and twelve months.