The Turkish SuperLig has been stopped without a set end date because Ankaragucu’s president punched the referee after a 1-1 match with Rizespor.
The president of a Turkish club punched referee mid-game
The country’s football federation (TFF) declared this on Monday. Ankaragucu’s president, Faruk Koca, hit referee Halil Umut Meler hard in the face after Monday’s game, giving the referee a black eye.
The TFF condemned the attack, saying it wasn’t just against Meler but against everyone involved in Turkish football.
The TFF, together with the government, has started legal actions against those responsible for this attack.
The club, its president, managers, and all the people involved in attacking Meler will face severe punishment.
Turkish SuperLig Suspended Indefinitely After Referee Attack by Club PresidentThe Turkish Football Federation Board of Directors decided to postpone matches in all leagues indefinitely.
During injury time, Rizespor scored to make it a 1-1 draw before Koca attacked Meler on the field. Meler fell, and while on the ground, he was hit again amidst chaos with players, coaches, and officials.
Crazy scenes from Turkish league.
— SUPER SUB INDIA (@super_sub_IND) December 12, 2023
Club president hits Super Lig official.#Turkey #IndianFootball #ISL10pic.twitter.com/KONYXluOWQ
Local media reported that Meler was taken to a hospital due to his injuries.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the incident in Ankara, saying, “Sports should promote peace and unity.
Violence has no place in sports,” in a message on Twitter, now called ‘X.’ He emphasized a commitment to preventing violence in Turkish sports.
The 16th round of the Turkish top flight, with 38 rounds in total, was supposed to happen next weekend.
The SuperLig features notable players like Argentina’s Mauro Icardi, former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, and ex-Manchester City attacker Edin Dzeko.
Galatasaray, the league’s title holders and 23-time winners will play a crucial Champions League game in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Fenerbahce and Besiktas, leading the SuperLig, will also be in action in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
After the draw with Rizespor, Ankaragucu is in the 10th spot in the league, trailing Rizespor by four points.
In other European football news on Monday, Belgian teams Anderlecht and Standard Liege decided that games between them will have no away supporters until the end of the 2024/2025 season.
