TURKEY has sensationally banned 102 players on Thursday over a widening betting scandal.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 25 players from the Super Lig and 77 from the second-tier first division, with bans ranging from 45 days to one year.
This comes amid an ongoing investigation into illegal betting.
Among those suspended is Galatasaray and Turkey defender Eren Elmali, who received a 45-day ban.
Elmali said on Instagram this week that he had bet on a match five years ago, stressing that it did not involve his own team.
He joined Galatasaray earlier this year.
His club teammate, Metehan Baltaci, a Turkey U21 centre-back, was suspended for nine months.
This number includes as many as 27 players from Turkey‘s top flight, with all of them referred to the country’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).
Turkish football giants Besiktas issued a statement confirming two of their players had been referred to the PFDK.
However, they reiterated that they had “full faith” in the innocence of the unnamed stars.
In response to the scandal, the federation has suspended all third- and fourth-tier leagues for two weeks.
However, the Super Lig, currently led by Galatasaray, and the second tier will continue as scheduled.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said the organisation remained committed to rooting out corruption and restoring integrity to the game.
“We took office 16 months ago with a promise to elevate Turkish football to the level it deserves,” he said.
“We will not compromise in our fight to protect Turkish football from scandal, decay, and corrupt relationships.”
The TFF has also asked FIFA to grant a 15-day extension to the winter transfer and registration window to allow clubs to fill gaps in their squads created by the suspensions.
FIFA has not yet responded to the request.
According to local media reports, eight people have been arrested by Turkish authorities in connection with the investigation, including a club chairman.
The investigation, which has been ongoing for five years, has already resulted in the banning of 149 officials.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu made a series of striking revelations about the scandal on October 27.
He claimed that 371 out of 571 referees were found to have gambling accounts, 152 of which were active.
He said that 42 referees had placed bets on more than 1,000 matches, including one referee who placed 18,277 bets.
The bans handed to officials range from eight to twelve months, while three others remain under investigation and could still face penalties.
Haciosmanoglu described the situation as a “moral crisis” for Turkish football.
He also noted that officials’ pay had been increased over the past two years
This was a move intended to reduce financial pressures that might lead to unethical behaviour.
