Hundreds of match officials have been implicated in a betting scandal that has rocked Turkish football leagues.

A five-year investigation has revealed that a staggering 371 out of 571 match officials are involved in gambling.

According to the BBC, the investigation uncovered that 42 referees had staked bets on more than 1,000 football games, with one of the officials found to have placed over 18,277 bets.

The President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Ibrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu, revealed that these numbers included seven referees and 15 assistant referees from Turkey’s top two divisions, and 36 referees and 94 assistants from the lower divisions.

“If we want to bring Turkish football to the place it deserves, we have to clean up whatever dirt there is,” the president said.

He added that the officials responsible will be referred to the disciplinary board and “face the necessary penalties.”

Referees and match officials are barred from participating in sports betting as part of the disciplinary code.

Players and match officials found guilty of breaching this code of conduct risk hefty fines and suspension from the game.

WDN