ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish soccer temporarily banned 102 professional players including 25 from the top-tier league on Thursday over a widening betting scandal that has implicated hundreds of referees.
The Turkish Football Federation imposed bans on 25 players from the Super Lig and 77 from the second-tier first division for terms ranging from 45 days to one year. It followed days after more than 1,000 players were provisionally suspended in the scandal.
Galatasaray and Turkey defender Eren Elmali was suspended for 45 days, three days after he was pulled out of the national-team squad for World Cup qualifying games.
Club teammate and former Turkey Under-21 center back Metehan Baltaci was suspended for nine months. Konyaspor winger Alassane Ndao, who is a former Senegal international, got a 12-month ban.
Elmali posted on Instagram this week that he bet on a game about five years ago that did not involve his own team. He joined Galatasaray this year and played in all four of its Champions League games this season.
The 25-year-old Elmali’s initial ban takes him out of Champions League games against Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, plus a Super Lig derby against fierce rival Fenerbahce.
Baltacı also admitted past bets but insisted they were not games he played in.
“Years ago I placed a bet at a time when I couldn’t fully grasp the seriousness of the matter,” he said. “I want to make it clear that this action had nothing to do with matches played by the teams I represented.”
The bans apply to matches but the players can continue training, Haberturk television reported.
A total of 1,024 players have been referred to the federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board in the ongoing investigation, including former Turkey midfielder Necip Usyal who is a 16-year veteran at Istanbul club Besiktas.
The federation has shut down the third- and fourth-tier divisions for two weeks but allowed the Super Lig — led by defending champion Galatasaray — and second tier to continue.
Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu vowed this week to cleanse Turkish soccer from corruption, scandal and unethical practices.
“We took office 16 months ago with a promise to elevate Turkish football to the level it deserves,” he said. “We will not compromise in our fight to protect Turkish football from scandal, decay, and corrupt relationships.”
Turkish soccer has been rocked by investigations into alleged widespread betting by referees, and now players, on games which is prohibited by world soccer body FIFA., whose Code of Ethics states betting directly or indirectly on games can lead to a ban of up to three years and a fine of up to 100,000 Swiss francs ($126,000).
More than 150 Turkish referees are alleged to have bet on games, including seven who are approved to handle top-level games and 15 top-level assistants. It is unclear if any of the match officials are on the FIFA list approved to handle international games for national or club teams.
The scandal is a setback to Turkish soccer’s revival in recent years.
The country will co-host the men’s 2032 European Championship with Italy, the national team reached the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, and Istanbul has been picked by UEFA to stage several finals in European club competitions. The home stadium of Besiktas will stage the Europa League final in May.