The Turkish Football Federation has suspended 149 referees and assistants for alleged links to a betting scandal involving professional football leagues. The organization announced on Friday (October 31st) that it has decided to impose sanctions of eight to twelve months on those involved, while investigations continue against three others.
According to the federation’s president, Ibrahim Hacsosmanoglu, the reputation of Turkish football is built on integrity. “The reputation of Turkish football is built on the sanctity of effort on the field and the unwavering integrity of fairness. Any act that betrays these values is not only a violation of the rules, but a breach of trust,” he said in a statement.
Hacoosmanoglu commented that 10 referees placed bets on more than 10,000 matches over five years. In particular, one referee was accused of placing bets on 18,227 matches.
Furthermore, according to a publication in the newspaper Habertürk, investigations are also underway against clubs and players. According to the newspaper, approximately 3,700 players are under investigation.
In Brazil, practices to combat illegal betting continue to advance.
Brazil is an international leader in the fight against match-fixing. Recently, the country formally requested to become a party to the Macolin Convention agreement in Paris, France. This treaty is the only one in the world of sports dedicated to combating, preventing, and punishing match-fixing in sports.
Only 50 countries are part of this movement, which has existed since 2019. Today it has been ratified by countries such as France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Moldova, Switzerland, and Ukraine, and signed by another 32 European states, as well as Australia and Morocco.
“These movements position Brazil as one of the countries that has made the most progress in this regard, with practices that almost automatically inhibit illegality. Even before regulation, which occurred in the country in January of this year, betting companies, federations, and confederations have been establishing solid partnerships with various international and sports integrity bodies,” points out Bernardo Cavalcanti Freire, legal consultant for the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL).
