"He promised to drain the swamp and after an internal investigation he declared the swamp not only existed but was flowing right under the pitch. As a federation, we started by cleaning up our own back yard, Hacosmanoglu said. If we want to bring Turkish football to the place it deserves, we have to clean up whatever dirt there is."
"The investigation's figures would be funny if they weren't true. It found 371 of 571 active referees across the professional leagues held betting accounts. Worse, 152 officials were actively gambling, including seven top-tier Super Lig referees. Referees are banned from betting on football under Fifa's code of ethics but the data revealed one official had placed more than 18,000 football bets in five years and 42 officials had bet on more than 1,000 matches each."
"But Turkish refereeing, long regarded as prone to error, may have been fundamentally compromised. For years the tribal fanbases of the Super Lig's big hitters Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Trabzonspor have viewed officiating decisions with suspicion that has suffocated the game's atmosphere, leading to the collapse of public trust in referees and the football authorities. Every debatable penalty, bizarre video assistant referee decision or contro"
Galatasaray, Arda Guler and the national team showed strong results, but a federation inquiry uncovered massive referee betting. The probe found 371 of 571 active referees held betting accounts and 152 actively gambled, including seven Super Lig referees. One official placed over 18,000 football bets in five years and 42 officials wagered on more than 1,000 matches each. Referees are banned from betting under Fifa rules, yet many offered explanations such as not wagering on matches they officiated or signing up to follow games. The revelations have deepened existing fan distrust and damaged public confidence in officiating.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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