Ferhat Gündogdu appears before judge as Türkiye referees chief in interference case | OneFootball

Ferhat Gündogdu, head of Türkiye’s referees, appeared before a judge on Friday alongside six others after being detained on Tuesday, another episode to hit officiating in the Euro 2032 co-host nation.

According to L'Équipe, Gündogdu, who chairs the central referees committee MHK, and six others, including his vice-president, were placed under formal investigation. They face allegations of falsifying official documents, breach of trust and the illegal acquisition of personal data, and could be remanded in custody.

Two referees working in the Super Lig, the country’s top division, have also been placed under investigation. The developments add to a fraught climate around refereeing.

On Tuesday, justice minister Akin Gürlek wrote on X that there were allegations of interference in referee rankings, match appointments, scoring and knowledge-of-the-rules exams.

AFP reported that a year ago a federation investigation, covering 571 referees across Türkiye’s professional leagues, found 371 held betting accounts and 152 were actively betting.

Source: L'Équipe

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