Turkish soccer plunges into crisis as betting scandal sees 1,024 suspensions
Turkish soccer is in disarray following the suspension of 1,024 active players due to the recent betting scandal.
In what has been a horrid patch for the beautiful game in the Bosphorus, further findings have pointed to players engaging in gambling.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has now publicly recognized this possible breach of the rules and described the action as a “precautionary measure.”
Soccer players suspended in the Turkish betting scandal
As we reported, the game in the Mediterranean nation was already under the watchful eye of FIFA after it was discovered that referees had been actively involved in sports betting.
Over one hundred referees have been given months-long bans for their involvement in a betting culture that has much deeper roots within the Turkish soccer sphere.
With the watchdog stating, “The disciplinary referrals of 47 football players, who were found to have engaged in only one betting activity, will be evaluated based on new evidence and information obtained through responses from relevant authorities to prevent irreparable harm.”
Now, the TFF has suspended the players involved and referred them to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.
Players deny the betting allegations
The referral included some big-name players, including reigning league champions Galatasaray and Turkish National Team defender Eren Elmali.
“I want to make it clear that the reason my name appears in this file is because, about five years ago, a bet was placed on a match involving my former team, without my knowledge or involvement,” wrote Elmali on Instagram.
“Since that day, I have neither placed any bets nor had the slightest connection with such matters,” he added.
Alongside Elmali, 27 players from the Turkish top flight, the Super Lig, were referred to the regulatory watchdog, which could result in similar bans to those faced by the nation’s referees embroiled in the scandal.
Ersin Destanoglu a young reserve keeper and Besiktas veteran Necip Uysal both stated on social media and to the national press, that they deny the allegations completely.
Uysal said, “In my entire life, I’ve never even gone near betting, I’ve never downloaded a betting app on my phone, I don’t have any membership or account anywhere. An account was opened on a betting site using my Turkish ID number, without my knowledge.”
Destanoglu’s statement read, “I will not allow myself to be judged in the public eye based on these defamatory and baseless accusations; I will exercise all legal rights granted to me by law to the fullest extent.”
Kamuoyunun bilgisine; pic.twitter.com/GwkXFEPgUv
— Ersin Destanoglu (@ErsinDestanoglu) November 10, 2025
The teams mentioned alongside the current champions are Alanyaspor, Antalyaspor, Besiktas, Caykur Rizespor, Eyupspor, Fatih Karagumruk, Gaziantep, Goztepe, Konyaspor, Kayserispor, Kasimpasa, Samsunspor, and Trabzonspor.
Featured image: Adobe Firefly
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