By Alexander Krassimirov
August 30 – Trabzonspor footballer Volkan Sen walked off the pitch in tears after receiving verbal abuse from his own side’s supporters during the game against Rizespor in the Turkish Super Lig.
26-year-old Sen left the pitch crying in the 42nd minute, heading directly to the dressing room and refusing to return to the game in the second half.
Teammates, officials and opponents tried to console him, but Sen became overwhelmed and left the field.
Trabzonspor coach Mustafa Akcay was forced to make a substitution two minutes before the halftime. Sen was substituted by Frenchman Florent Malouda
Akcay has voiced support for the player, but club chairman Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has taken the opposite view. The coach said Sen’s teammates applauded for 15 minutes as a supporting gesture for Volkan during the break.
“This is a human job. We have a person with an emotional implosion here. You could talk about discipline, but for me, respect for a human comes before discipline,” Akçay said after the game.
The chairman of Trabzonspor, however, said there was no longer any place for Volkan at the club.
“It is impossible to condone fans swearing at a player, but I cannot accept a professional footballer leaving the pitch,” he said in a televised interview after the game. “You are not playing marbles in the street. There is no place for such behavior in our team.”
The club released an official statement condemning the incident the following morning, but also criticized the player.
“We condemn these people and have started legal procedures against those uncouth individuals who call themselves supporters,” the statement read. “However, behavior does not reflect either a professional footballer’s correct attitude or the values of Trabzonspor. Our board will decide on the issue later,” the statement said.
Three spectators have been detained in connection with the incident. They were released after being questioned by police.
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