03.11.2026 09:21
TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu made striking statements regarding the betting investigation conducted in Turkish football. Stating that some club executives in the Süper Lig placed bets against their own teams, Hacıosmanoğlu said that if it is determined that this was reflected in match results, championships could change. Former referee of the match Deniz Ateş Bitnel gave a harsh response to Hacıosmanoğlu's remarks about the 2016 Galatasaray-Trabzonspor match.
Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu shared details of the betting investigation closely concerning Turkish football on the Gündem Özel program broadcast on A Spor. Hacıosmanoğlu, who announced that hundreds of people from the Süper Lig and 1. Lig have been referred to disciplinary proceedings, stated that some club managers bet against their own teams. The TFF President said that if the investigation determines that match results were interfered with, even championships could change hands.
"IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT IT REFLECTED ON THE PITCH, THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL ALSO CHANGE"
Hacıosmanoğlu, noting that the betting investigation is not limited to footballers and referees, said that some club managers in the Süper Lig are also within the scope of the review. The TFF President reported that a manager bet on the opponent's victory while his own team was leading 1-0, and announced that this person deposited 4,000 TL and won 16,000 TL in the 2024-2025 season.
Hacıosmanoğlu stated that this manager would be referred to the Ethics Committee and said similar situations exist in other Süper Lig teams. Emphasizing that if the investigation reveals that match results were interfered with, the process would be moved to a different dimension, Hacıosmanoğlu said, "If it is determined that it reflected on the pitch, the championship will change too."
"448 PEOPLE REFERRED TO DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS"
The TFF President announced that within the scope of the betting investigation, a total of 448 people from the Süper Lig and 1. Lig were referred to disciplinary proceedings. He stated that 147 of these people were given a 45-day deprivation of rights penalty, while no penalty was applied to 301 people. He conveyed that initially a 3-month penalty was envisaged for those who bet on between 1 and 100 matches, and later the period was reduced to 45 days with a reduction.
Emphasizing that people within the football family cannot bet, Hacıosmanoğlu said new steps could be taken according to the results of the investigation.
"HE BROUGHT UP THE GALATASARAY-TRABZONSPOR MATCH"
Hacıosmanoğlu also touched upon the Galatasaray-Trabzonspor match played on February 21, 2016, which was long debated due to referee decisions. The TFF President, requesting that the red cards given in that match be investigated from a betting perspective, said, "Now I also want it investigated: how much betting was placed on 2 red cards in that match?"
Drawing attention to what happened in the final part of the match, Hacıosmanoğlu argued that the fifth red card could lead to the match being abandoned, saying, "At five red cards the match is abandoned, and bets are placed." He also claimed that 8-10 minutes of stoppage time should have been played in the match, but only 3 minutes were added, and not all of it was played.
"THE MATCH IN WHICH SALİH DURSUN SHOWED THE RED CARD TO THE REFEREE"
In the match played between Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, the claret-and-blue players Özer Hurmacı, Aykut Demir, Luis Cavanda and Salih Dursun saw red cards. In particular, Salih Dursun taking the red card from referee Deniz Ateş Bitnel's hand and showing it to the referee entered the unforgettable images of Turkish football history.
Hacıosmanoğlu also claimed that in the same match Mustafa Yumlu punched the referee but did not see a red card. The TFF President said that if the referee at the time, Deniz Ateş Bitnel, testifies as a witness, legal and illegal bets connected to the match could be investigated.
"HARSH RESPONSE FROM DENİZ ATEŞ BİTNEL"
A response to Hacıosmanoğlu's statements came quickly from former referee Deniz Ateş Bitnel. Making a post on his social media account, Bitnel rejected the accusations directed at him and said, "First of all, if you don't prove that Mustafa Yumlu punched me, you are a slanderer!"
Arguing that the prosecutors of the period carried out the necessary investigations and that no negative finding was reached about him, Bitnel said, "I am ready to be investigated again and to lay out my entire record." The former referee also announced that he would exercise his legal rights if Hacıosmanoğlu fails to prove his claims.