Turkish football imposes a temporary ban on 102 players after a gambling scandal

The Turkish Football Federation temporarily banned 102 players on Thursday due to a gambling scandal.

The players were referred to the Turkish Football Federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board in the ongoing investigation.

The board suspended 25 players from the Super Lig and 77 players from the second division of the first division for terms ranging from 45 days to a year.

Galatasaray and Turkey international Eren Elmali were suspended for 45 days. Clubmate and central defender of Turkey Under-21 Metehan Baltaci was suspended for nine months.

Elmali published a statement late on Monday explaining his involvement in the case after he was withdrawn from Turkey’s squad preparing to play World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Bulgaria.

25-year-old Elmali posted on Instagram that about five years ago he gambled on a match that did not involve his own team. This year he joined Galatasaray.

Turkish football has been rocked by investigations into alleged widespread betting by referees and now players on matches, which has been banned by FIFA.

More than 150 referees are said to have bet on matches, including seven approved to handle matches at the highest level and 15 top-level assistants.

Published on November 13, 2025