Trabzonspor president among 147 officials banned in Turkish betting case
Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan has been banned from football duties for 45 days after Turkey's betting investigation reached the boardroom.
The Turkish Football Federation, the body that runs the game in Turkey, said 147 club officials had breached its betting rules. They will be barred from carrying out any duties within football during the suspension, BBC Sport reported.
The decision follows a wide sweep that began in September. The federation provisionally suspended 448 people and sent their cases to its professional football disciplinary board, the panel that decides punishments, over claims they placed bets while in office.
Those 448 people had all held posts at clubs in Turkey's top two divisions at some point in the previous five years. That covers the Super Lig, the country's top flight, and the second tier below it.
Of that group, 147 were found to have broken the rules. The federation said there were insufficient grounds for disciplinary action in the other 301 cases.
Betting rules in Turkey are strict. TFF, FIFA and UEFA regulations all forbid players, coaches and match officials from taking part in betting activities. The bans extend that principle to club officials who held positions of responsibility.
Dogan is the most high-profile name on the list. Trabzonspor are one of Turkey's biggest clubs, based on the Black Sea coast, with a large and loyal support. His 45-day ban removes a sitting top-flight president from duty.
Earlier reporting on the September suspensions said leaders at both Trabzonspor and Besiktas were among the 448 officials initially held out of the game.
What makes this stand out is the scale. This is not a case about one club. It is a federation-wide review of betting by people in positions of power.
For fans, this means more disruption off the pitch. The officials' case follows two earlier waves of punishment. In November 2025, 149 referees were banned after a TFF betting investigation. In the same month, 1,204 players were also banned.
Turkish football has been dealing with the fallout ever since. Referees decide matches. Players decide matches. Now the focus has turned to the men who run the clubs.
