New act in the betting scandal: Arbitration Board rejects appeals, those referees' careers are over

The TFF Arbitration Board continues its investigations into referees who received bans due to betting suspicions. In a statement released by the federation, it was noted that the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) had imposed penalties ranging from 8 to 12 months on a total of 149 referees. Of these individuals, 67 appealed the decision.

82 REFEREES DID NOT APPEAL THE DECISION

The Arbitration Board evaluated the applications one by one and upheld the bans. It was reported that 82 referees penalized by the PFDK did not file any appeals. Thus, the penalties received by a total of 149 referees have been finalized. With these decisions, the careers of the relevant referees have officially come to an end.

On the other hand, it was announced that the investigations regarding referees Zorbay Küçük, Melih Kurt, and Mertcan Tubay, who were referred to the PFDK, are continuing at the Arbitration Board.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu announced on October 27 that 152 referees had engaged in betting, and the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the investigation would be expanded.

Hacıosmanoğlu also stated that a total of 371 referees had betting accounts and that 152 of them were identified as actively betting. Following this process, it was announced that the PFDK had imposed 8 to 12-month bans on 149 referees, and that the files regarding 3 referees were still in the review stage.

In the investigation, detention warrants were issued for 21 suspects, including 17 referees, and 8 people, including Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya, Erkan Arslan, Nevzat Okat, and Yakup Yapıcı, were arrested among the 19 people taken into custody.

1024 FOOTBALLERS HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE PFDK

The federation had referred 1024 footballers to the PFDK with precautionary measures as part of the betting investigation. In the statement, it was mentioned that in addition to 27 footballers from the Trendyol Super League, 77 from the Trendyol 1st League, 282 from the Nesine 2nd League, and 629 from the Nesine 3rd League, 9 professional players were also sent to disciplinary proceedings.

It was stated that the situation of 47 footballers, for whom only a single betting movement was detected, would be re-evaluated together with documents to be received from relevant institutions in order to prevent irreparable damages.

Following the investigations, it was announced that the PFDK had imposed penalties ranging from 45 days to 12 months on the footballers.