FLASH
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The scandal in Turkish football deepens. On Friday morning, 17 referees and the president of a Super League club were arrested as part of an investigation into an illegal betting system. The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has confirmed arrest warrants for 21 people, and among those being investigated are 17 referees and the president of a club.
Authorities have not yet released the names of those under investigation, only providing their initials. The arrests were made in 12 cities in Turkey and come days after the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after investigations showed that officials involved in Turkey's professional leagues had placed bets on football matches.
The Turkish Football Federation said the sanctions could range from eight to 12 months of suspension, but it has not yet been confirmed whether the suspended referees had bet on the matches they officiated. The Istanbul prosecutor's office said the 17 referees were arrested on charges of abuse of office and match-fixing.
The president of a Super League club, a former football club owner and a former president of the Federation were also arrested on suspicion of being involved in an illegal betting system. A few weeks ago, the president of the Turkish Football Federation, Ibrahim Haxhiosmanoglu, revealed the disturbing results of the investigation by the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office at a press conference, saying that 371 of the 571 active referees in the country's professional championships had accounts with betting companies and 152 of them regularly participated in the betting process. Among them are 7 referees at the highest levels.
This is a scandal that has led to the suspension of the championship being considered, with clubs demanding transparency and the disclosure of the identities of those involved, while the president of the Turkish Football Federation described the situation as a moral crisis for football in the country.
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