An İstanbul court on Monday ordered the arrest of 20 people including 11 footballers from Turkey’s first and second divisions, nine of whom are accused of betting on their own teams’ matches, local media reported.

Among the five first division players charged are Galatasaray defender Metehan Baltacı, Konyaspor’s Senegalese winger Alassane Ndao, and Fenerbahçe’s international midfielder Mert Hakan Yandaş, who is accused of betting on matches through a third party.

The judges ordered the arrest of nine other suspects, including the presidents of two third division clubs accused of colluding on the result of a match during the 2023-2024 season.

Nineteen suspects were released under judicial supervision, including four players from Super Lig, the Turkish first division.

A total of around 40 people were detained last week as part of a wide-ranging investigation by the İstanbul chief public prosecutor’s office into suspected illegal betting and match-fixing.

These investigations, which have rocked Turkish football, have already led to the imprisonment in early November of six Turkish referees and the president of first division club Eyüpspor.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also dismissed nearly 150 referees last month, accusing them of actively betting on matches.

© Agence France-Presse