Turkey arrests referee board chief, six others

Turkish authorities have arrested Central Referee Board chief Ferhat Gundogdu and six others over allegations of interfering in referee appointments and evaluations.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said authorities are investigating alleged interference in referee rankings, match assignments, scores, appointments and rule-related exams.

The suspects, including Gundogdu’s deputy, were detained in raids across four provinces. Their homes and offices were also searched.

The investigation includes financial audits, witness statements and expert reports, with allegations of forged documents and pressure on referees also being examined.

Turkey’s football has previously faced a major betting investigation. Last year, 149 referees were banned over alleged illegal betting after 571 professional referees were investigated.

The minister said there was no direct link between the previous betting case and the latest arrests.

-AJM