Turkish football in crisis as referee chief is detained
Turkish football has been hit by another major refereeing controversy after Ferhat Gundogdu, the head of the country’s Central Referees Committee, was remanded in custody as part of an ongoing investigation. According to an AFP report, citing Turkey’s state run Anadolu news agency, Gundogdu was among seven officials who appeared before a judge in Istanbul over allegations involving the…
The Turkish football landscape faces a crisis after the head of the Central Referees Committee, Ferhat Gundogdu, was detained as part of a major investigation. Seven officials, including Gundogdu, appeared before a judge in Istanbul, accused of interfering in various aspects of referee management. Five were detained, two released under supervision.
The probe is conducted by Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and its Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau. Authorities are looking into claims of meddling in referee classifications, assignments, scoring, appointments, and rule examinations. Allegations also include document forgery, breach of trust, and unlawful acquisition of personal data.
While these remain unproven, a separate examination of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room is under scrutiny. Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch examined operations inside the VAR room at the Turkish Football Federation's headquarters. However, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office denied ordering any VAR-related examination.
The investigation centers on referee classification, assessment, and appointment processes. The new Central Referees Committee is being formed, with existing members handling appointments for upcoming Turkish Cup matches. This follows a 2025 betting scandal where 149 referees were suspended. The key question now is the extent of the investigation and whether additional names will be implicated.
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