MHP's Saffet Sancaklı takes a jab at footballers linked to betting scandal: 'You need to be smart to be a footballer'

Speeches on behalf of political groups regarding the Ministry of Youth and Sports' 2026 budget have been completed at the TBMM Planning and Budget Committee.

Bringing the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) betting investigation to the agenda at the Budget Committee, MHP Kocaeli MP Saffet Sancaklı said, "You need to be smart to be a referee or a footballer. These guys went and placed bets using their own Turkish ID numbers."

"80 PERCENT HAVE PLACED BETS"

Stating that referees are also among those alleged to have placed bets, Sancaklı said, "I defended referees for years; I wish I hadn't.

There are 571 professional referees in Turkey. 149 of them have placed bets under their own names. One in every three referees and one in every three footballers have placed bets in their own name," he stated.

Explaining that referees and footballers placed bets using their own names and ID numbers, Sancaklı noted that there are 139 professional football clubs and that players in 135 of them have engaged in betting.

MHP's Sancaklı continued as follows:

"You need to be smart to be a referee or a footballer. These guys went and placed bets using their own Turkish ID numbers. There are 139 professional football clubs in Turkey, and players in 135 of them have placed bets; there are only 4 clubs where no betting was found.

One referee placed 18 thousand bets over a 5-year period. There is something even more dire: one footballer placed 108 thousand bets. That means he made 20 betting slips a day. While you were busy with these slips, when did you think about playing football or refereeing properly? You probably didn't even say 'hello' to your child because of these. The situation is that dire. You go out to a match, 80 percent of the players have placed bets, and we are just watching."

Pointing out that caution is needed in the betting investigation, Sancaklı reminded that it is forbidden for footballers and referees to place bets.

Emphasizing that the betting investigation is a great opportunity, Sancaklı suggested that players from the youth academy should be evaluated before the transfer window opens.

News Source: 12punto