Published 2 hours ago • loading... • Updated 37 minutes ago
Turkey detains chief and six members of referee board in probe
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said investigators examined referee classifications, assignments and financial records as part of a wider clean-football probe.
On Tuesday, Turkish authorities detained Ferhat Gundogdu, chairman of the Turkish Football Federation's central referee board, and six members over alleged interference in refereeing procedures.
Investigators are probing claims regarding the formation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring, and appointment processes, according to Justice Minister Akin Gurlek.
Searches were carried out at suspects' residences, workplaces, and offices; investigators examined telecom records and financial data from MASAK alongside expert reports.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek vowed to "resolutely continue our fight for clean football to shed light on allegations that undermine confidence in Turkish football." Gurlek did not link this probe to the 2025 betting scandal.
In 2025, the TFF suspended 149 referees after finding 371 of 571 professional officials had betting accounts, with 152 placing bets; 29 people were arrested, including Fenerbahce midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas.
Turkish football is rocked by a new refereeing scandal. Turkish referee chief Ferhat Gündogdu has been arrested. He and six other people are being investigated for improper influence within the refereeing profession.
Turkish Police have arrested the country's chief referee and head of the country's refereeing committee, Ferhat Gudogdu, and six other people - Definitions, evaluations and other irregularities at the center of a major investigation.
The post Turkey: Earthquake in football - Head of the refereeing committee arrested appeared first on in.gr.