The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that it has removed Galatasaray defender Eren Elmalı, who is suspected in the ongoing betting investigation in the country, from the national team squad. This was reported by the publication "Turkiye Today".
According to the TFF statement, 1,024 footballers have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee as a precautionary measure based on Article 57 of the Code of Discipline. The federation announced that evidence related to players' illegal betting activities in professional leagues had been identified.
Besides Elmalı, İzzet Çelik (U-21) and Ege Albayrak (U-19) have also been temporarily suspended from their respective national teams.
In a statement he made via social media, 24-year-old Eren Elmalı confirmed that he was being investigated. According to him, the incident is related to a single bet placed on a match "about five years ago":
"My name has been mentioned due to a single bet placed on a match unrelated to my team. Since then, I have never been involved in any betting activity whatsoever," the footballer said.
The investigation is part of a comprehensive campaign being conducted by the TFF against illegal betting practices among footballers. Officials have not yet fully disclosed the details of the case, but the probe is noted as one of the largest disciplinary investigations in the history of Turkish football.
For reference, Eren Elmalı has played in 3 matches for the Turkish national team during the World Cup qualifiers.
