Turkish football federation suspends 25 first division players over betting

Twenty-five first division players were among 102 suspended by the Turkish football federation (TFF) on Thursday for betting on matches.

The suspensions ranged from 45 days to 12 months, according to the TFF, which had on Monday summoned 1 024 players before its disciplinary committee on charges of betting on matches.

Two players from defending three-time Turkish champions Galatasaray were among the 102 sanctioned – Turkey international Eren Elmali, who copped a 45-day ban, and Metehan Baltaci, suspended for nine months.

Elmali, 25, admitted that he had bet almost five years ago when he was playing in the fourth division.

Konyaspor's Senegalese winger Alassane Ndao, the sole foreigner implicated, was suspended for 12 months, the TFF said.

Amedspor, a club currently sat third in the second division, announced Thursday that it had cancelled the contracts of five of its players sanctioned by the federation.

The TFF did not specify whether some of the 102 suspended players had bet on matches in which they played.

The players' suspensions follow those of 149 referees in October for also having placed bets on matches.