In Istanbul, where confidence in the game’s institutions has been badly shaken, the Turkish Football Federation has turned to an Englishman to oversee its refereeing structure. Anthony Taylor, the 47-year-old former Premier League official, has been appointed president of the Central Refereeing Committee, becoming the first foreigner to lead Turkish football’s top body for match officials.
Taylor replaces Ferhat Dündogdu, who stepped down earlier this month after being remanded in custody alongside four other former administrators. The investigation centres on allegations of document fraud and improper conduct in the management of referees, including claims that certain officials were sidelined while others received preferential treatment.
Prosecutors say the accused made unauthorised arrangements over which referee would take charge of particular fixtures and interfered with the promotion system for officials. There has been no suggestion that the alleged practices altered results on the pitch, but the case has brought fresh scrutiny to the governance of a competition long accustomed to intense pressure around appointments and decisions.
A familiar figure from European finals
Taylor joined the TFF in August, following the end of his professional refereeing career after the 2026 World Cup. His arrival at the committee comes with a lengthy international record behind him, including some of the most prominent final appointments in the European and global calendar.
He refereed the 2023 Europa League final, in which Sevilla defeated Roma 5-2, as well as Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win against Sevilla in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup. His other major finals include France’s 2-1 victory over Spain in the 2021 Nations League final and Real Madrid’s 5-3 win over Al Hilal in the 2022 Club World Cup final.
The federation’s decision lands during a wider effort to restore faith in Turkish football. Last year, the TFF launched a major operation aimed at removing football executives involved in sports betting, an activity prohibited under the sport’s regulations.
On the same day as Taylor’s appointment, Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan received a 45-day suspension of his rights after it was established that he held a legal football betting account. The sanction underlines the breadth of the federation’s clean-up effort: from boardrooms and betting accounts to the secluded rooms where referee assignments are made.
