Victor Osimhen’s club, Galatasaray, has been drawn into the heart of a betting scandal that is set to shake Turkish football to its very core, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian striker, the most high-profile player in the Turkish Super Lig, would be worried as his club and several others have found themselves entangled in a corruption crisis that has rocked the sport.
Turkish football has been thrown into turmoil after the nation’s Football Federation (TFF) suspended 1,024 professional players amid an unfolding betting and match-fixing scandal that has sent shockwaves through the sport.
According to reports from BeIN Sports, prosecutors confirmed that eight people, including a first-division club president, have been arrested following months of investigations into illegal gambling networks allegedly involving professional footballers, referees, and club officials.
The TFF announced that players identified as having placed bets on football matches, a direct violation of FIFA and UEFA regulations, have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). Twenty-seven of the suspended players are said to come from Turkey’s top division, while hundreds more play in the lower leagues.
As a result of the mass suspensions, the TFF has postponed all third- and fourth-division matches for two weeks, citing player shortages. It has also requested an additional 15 days for the winter transfer window to allow clubs to reinforce depleted squads.
The crisis has cut deep into the country’s football system. Besiktas confirmed that two of their players had been referred to the PFDK but said they have ‘full faith’ in their innocence. Local reports further suggest that prosecutors have detained 21 individuals, including 17 referees and two club presidents, in connection with the scandal.
The betting storm first hit headlines on 27 October, when TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu made the shocking revelation that hundreds of referees across Turkish leagues had gambling accounts.
According to Haciosmanoglu, 371 of the country’s 571 referees were linked to betting platforms, with 152 actively placing wagers. Among them were seven referees and 15 assistants from the top two divisions.
Astonishingly, one referee reportedly placed 18,227 bets, while another 142 referees bet on over 1,000 matches.
Officials are banned from all betting activities under both domestic and international regulations, meaning the scale of the breaches represents one of the biggest integrity crises in European football history.
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Is Victor Osimhen involved in the chaos?
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, currently the biggest name in Turkish football, has not been implicated in the scandal. However, his club Galatasaray has not escaped unscathed.
Intel Region reports that two Galatasaray players, Eren Elmalı and Metehan Baltacı, are among those referred to the disciplinary board. Other names include Necip Uysal and Ersin Destanoğlu of Besiktas, and Boran Başkan and Salih Malkoçoğlu of Trabzonspor.
Osimhen, who fired Galatasaray to a third straight Super Lig title with 26 league goals last season while on loan from Napoli, was signed permanently this summer for €75 million, making him the most expensive player in Turkish history.
The 26-year-old has since continued his blistering form, scoring six goals in three Champions League games this term, making him Europe’s most prolific striker in the competition so far.
But as the scandal deepens, questions may soon arise over whether stars like Osimhen will remain in Turkey.
Sources in Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia claim Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, and several Saudi clubs remain interested in signing him, though Galatasaray would demand over €100 million for their prized asset.