More than one thousand players have been suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in a betting scandal that is continuously growing. Multiple players from Galatasaray and Besiktas, the top teams in Turkey's Super Lig, are among those suspended. Galatasaray have been participating in the UEFA Champions League this season. Both clubs have released a statement about the probe, with Besiktas stating that they have “full faith” that their players will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Evren Eren Elmani, a defender for Galatasaray, is among those named in the probe, posted on his Instagram story saying “I want to make it clear that my name is included in this file because of a betting transaction made about five years ago involving someone other than my own team. Since then, I have neither bet nor had any connection to this matter. Elmani has made 15 appearances for his club this season, scoring three times so far. 27 players in the Super Lig have been suspended so far, likewise for 77 players in Turkey’s second division, 1. Lig. Matches will continue for teams in the top two divisions, however games in the third and fourth flight have been suspended for two weeks, as the most suspensions were made in the lower tiers.
The TFF have requested a special 15 day transfer window from FIFA to allow their squads to sign and register players after losing multiple to the scandal. This would be on top of the upcoming Winter Transfer Window that will be open from January 1 and run until February 2.
On top of the players being suspended, the TFF suspended 149 match officials for “alleged involvement in a betting scandal”. TFF President, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said that of 571 match officials, 371 of them have betting accounts.
Jose Mourinho, who was the manager of Turkish club Fenerbahce from June 2024 - August 2025, called out the “toxic” feel of the league when he was in charge. On multiple occasions he stated that there was a “status quo within the system” that he did not agree with, alluding to multiple referee decisions that did not go his way. Mourinho has been a manager all across Europe, coaching Porto, Real Madrid, Roma, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham, and is currently the manager of Portuguese club Benfica. He has won six leagues, a Champions League, and multiple other trophies. He has seen how the top leagues around Europe are supposed to run, and he tried to warn everyone about the culture in Turkey, and now he was proven right.