Referee Elif Karaarslan has received a lifetime ban from the Turkish Football Association following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with 61-year-old referee observer Orhan Erdemir.
According to The Sun UK, the ban was imposed after the federation reportedly viewed a sex tape allegedly featuring Karaarslan and Erdemir in a sexual encounter. The Turkish Football Federation acted swiftly to suspend both individuals after the controversial video surfaced online.
The report states that Karaarslan was banned for allegedly appearing in an explicit clip with a referees’ official nearly three times her age. However, the 24-year-old strongly denies the allegations, asserting that she is not the woman in the video and claims that the footage was artificially generated, possibly using artificial intelligence (AI).
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In a determined response, Karaarslan has announced her intention to pursue legal action to clear her name. “I will have a long road ahead of me legally, but I will overcome it. I will defend my cause until the end,” she stated.
Before becoming a referee, Karaarslan was a football player and even played for Besiktas, one of Turkey’s leading clubs. Her passion for the game eventually led her to transition into refereeing, where she had been making notable progress in the Turkish football scene.
Beyond her officiating career, Karaarslan has cultivated a significant online presence, amassing over 382,000 followers on Instagram who support her in both her professional and personal pursuits in football.