18 detained in Turkey over football referees betting scandal
Eighteen people have been detained in Turkey as part of a widening investigation into referees suspected of betting on football matches, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said on Friday. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for 21 individuals, including 17 referees and the president of a first division club. The prosecutor’s office did not specify how many referees were among the 18 currently being questioned. The probe focuses on allegations of match-fixing and abuse of power within Turkish football. Last week, the Disciplinary Council of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees accused of violating a strict ban on betting. The suspensions, which range from eight to twelve months, did not specify whether any of the referees had wagered on matches they officiated. A previous TFF investigation into 571 referees across professional leagues found that 152 of them — including 22 […]
