Anthony Taylor named head of Turkey's referees committee

The Turkish Football Federation officially named former Premier League referee Anthony Taylor as chairman of its Central Referees Committee (MHK) on 20 October 2026. The Englishman, who has worked at the federation as Elite Referee Director since August 2026, succeeds Ferhat Gündoğdu, who stepped down in early October. In a statement released after a TFF board meeting, the federation also filled the committee's vacant seats with Alan Snoddy, Igor Radojicic and Barış Şimşek.

According to Sözcü, it is the first time a foreigner has been appointed to lead Turkey's referees committee, the body that oversees and assigns officials across the Süper Lig and lower divisions. At the same meeting, the TFF also confirmed Sergen Yalçın as the new head coach of the Turkish national team.

What did the TFF announce?

The TFF announced the new chairman and three new committee members in a single decision. Sporx reported that the board meeting took place in Riva, near Istanbul, and that Taylor's appointment was one of several decisions made that day. The federation's statement, translated from Turkish, read as follows.

Why was the MHK chairmanship vacant?

The post became vacant when former chairman Ferhat Gündoğdu resigned in early October. According to Turkish media reports, the TFF announced on 3 October 2026 that Gündoğdu had been arrested as part of an Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office investigation into the MHK, and the following day said he had submitted his resignation in writing. Gündoğdu's legal process is ongoing, and his lawyers have said they believe he is innocent. Since then, referee appointments had been handled under an interim arrangement.

1. 21 July 2026 — The English FA announced Anthony Taylor's retirement from refereeing.
2. 4 August 2026 — The TFF named Taylor as MHK Elite Referee Director.
3. 3 October 2026 — The TFF announced that MHK chairman Ferhat Gündoğdu had been arrested as part of an investigation.
4. 4 October 2026 — Gündoğdu's resignation as MHK chairman was announced.
5. 20 October 2026 — The TFF named Taylor MHK chairman, with Snoddy, Radojicic and Şimşek as members.

Who is Anthony Taylor?

Anthony Taylor is a former English FIFA referee from Manchester. He worked his way up from England's lower leagues to become one of the most experienced officials in the Premier League, and for many years took charge of international matches as a FIFA-listed referee. The FA announced his retirement on 21 July 2026, and his final game was Portugal v Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. In his TFF role as Elite Referee Director, he was responsible for the technical development of top-flight officials, performance evaluations, training programmes and match analysis.

What else did the TFF decide?

Alongside the MHK appointments, the TFF board made another decision that directly concerns referees: the Football Disciplinary Regulations will be amended to set specific penalties for public comments about officials made before and after matches. The federation also said the Süper Lig and 1. Lig broadcasting rights tender will now conclude on 30 November instead of the previously announced 13 January. The same statement confirmed Sergen Yalçın as national team head coach and set out new portfolios for board members.

• MHK chairman: Anthony Taylor
• MHK members: Alan Snoddy, Igor Radojicic, Barış Şimşek
• Turkey head coach: Sergen Yalçın
• Broadcasting tender: brought forward from 13 January to 30 November
• Disciplinary rules: specific penalties for comments about referees

What happens next?

The first major task for Taylor's new committee will be Süper Lig referee appointments. The TFF has not announced how long Taylor's term will last or given details of the new disciplinary rules on comments about referees, and it has not said when those penalties will take effect. ScoreLab will update this article as the story develops.