Istanbul, Türkiye – A massive scandal has rocked Turkish football, with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspending 149 referees and assistant referees after discovering they held active football betting accounts. The sweeping action, the result of a five-year investigation, raises serious questions about the integrity of matches and appears to validate prior complaints made by prominent coach Jose Mourinho.
The TFF’s investigation revealed that of the 571 match officials examined, 371 had betting accounts, with 152 actively placing wagers. The extent of the betting varied widely, from single bets to one official placing an astonishing 18,227 bets, and 42 referees betting on over 1,000 matches. Those suspended face a one-year ban from officiating, while investigations continue into three additional referees.
“There is a moral crisis in Turkish football, the basic problem is an ethical one,” stated TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu.He further emphasized the federation’s commitment to its officials, stating, “Just ask any referee, if anyone has not received thier salary, I will resign as president of the federation.In fact, we have increased their salaries last year and this year too.”
The revelations strongly echo concerns voiced by Jose Mourinho during his brief tenure as coach of fenerbahçe from July 2024 to August 2025. Mourinho repeatedly criticized refereeing decisions and alleged systemic bias against his team. “we are not competing against the opposing team,we are fighting the system. And fighting the system is the hardest thing,” he said in early 2025.
prior to taking the Fenerbahçe position, Mourinho expressed skepticism about rumors of corruption within Turkish football. However, he later lamented being misled about the extent of the problem. “Before coming to Turkey, I heard some gossip, but to be honest I didn’t believe it. However,after actually coming here,the situation was much more serious than I heard,” he stated. “I have a complaint about the people at fenerbahce who brought me here. They told half the truth and hid the rest. If I knew everything, I wouldn’t have come.” Mourinho is currently coaching Benfica.
