Turkish betting scandal: ‘Big decisions’ and ‘very tough’ sanctions needed, says Galatasaray assistant president

In November, the Turkish Football Federation suspended 1,024 players from professional leagues as part of a betting investigation.

It then imposed a ban on 102 players from the first and second divisions for “betting-related activities.”

Among those detained by prosecutors was 23-year-old Galatasaray player Methan Baltaşi, who admitted to betting as a youth player, claiming he did not know it was illegal, but denies betting on his club’s matches after joining the first team.

Garcia Gomez did not speak directly about Baltaschi, but he said about Galatasaray: “In the club, people are against this situation, and people must start learning from mistakes, this is the way.”

The Spanish coach, who has worked in Turkish football for four years, said his acquaintances had contacted him from all over Europe about the scandal and that answers were needed quickly to start restoring the country’s reputation.

“I have to appreciate the quick answer, and hopefully in the future Türkiye will be known for the talent of its players, where the national team can go to the World Cup and the teams perform great in Europe,” he said.

The betting scandal first broke on October 27 and focused on referees. A five-year TFF investigation found that 371 out of 571 referees in Türkiye had betting accounts, and 152 of them were actively gambling.

It has fueled conspiracies around refereeing in Turkish football – with former Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho regularly making claims about bias during his time in the Premier League.

However, Garcia Gomez said he was sure there was “no conspiracy against any club” and that Turkish football would be able to put its house in order.

“In Türkiye, they will learn, I’m sure,” he said. “It doesn’t help, but as an insider I want to see change.”