Among those suspended was Eren Elmali, a defender for the Turkish national team and a player for Galatasaray, who has been actively participating in the Champions League this season. The 25-year-old footballer admitted that five years ago he placed a bet on a match unrelated to his team. After the decision regarding his suspension, he added clarifications on his Instagram page, as the national team was preparing for World Cup qualifying matches against Spain and Bulgaria.
In addition to Elmali, his teammate Metahan Baltaci was also included in the list of 1,024 players submitted to the TFF disciplinary committee. The federation suspended matches in the third and fourth divisions for two weeks, while Super League and second division games will proceed as scheduled.
The investigation also affected the refereeing staff: over 150 referees, including seven with licenses for the top division and 15 assistant referees, are suspected of betting on matches, which is strictly prohibited according to FIFA rules.
At a press conference, TFF President Ibrahim Haji Osmanoglu noted:
“We must elevate the level of Turkish football and cleanse it of all that is unclean.”
Turkish football is reaching new heights on the international stage: the country, together with Italy, will host Euro 2032, the national team reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, and Istanbul has been chosen to host a series of UEFA finals, making this investigation particularly important for the image of Turkey's football culture.
