December 20 – Turkish football has been hit with another scandal involving club presidents and match officials.
In the latest incident in the 17th round Super Lig match between Istanbulspor and Trabzonspor, the game was abandoned after the president of Istanbulspor, Ecmel Faik Sarıalioğlu (pictured), furious with the referee’s decisions, ordered his team from the field of play.
The Istanbulspor players exited the pitch just a few minutes after Trabzonspor had taken a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute.
Istanbulspor’s players strongly protested the goal, insisting that in the build up to the goal, a foul had been committed on their player. In the end, after a VAR review, the goal was confirmed.
Dissatisfied with the referee’s decisions, Sarıalioğlu ordered his players to go to their dressing room. Some of the players tried to dissuade the president, with one of them Simon Deli even falling on his knees to beg him to change his mind.
Only a week ago, Turkish football was embroiled in the fallout from another club owner furious at the referee and resorting to physical violence.
Ankaragüdü president Faruk Koca attacked referee Halil Umut Meler, punching him to the ground where he was then kicked repeatedly, hospitalising him with serious injuries to his head. Koca subsequently resigned and has since been banned from football for life.
Following this incident, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decided to suspend championships across all its leagues. But a few days later the TFF announced that matches would resume on December 19, only for another ugly and image-damaging incident to occur.
Istanbulspor is expected to be punished heavily by the TFF though what that punishment looks like is unclear. TFF rules allow for a points deduction or even relegation enforced.
Istanbulspor are currently bottom of the Super Lig table with just two wins from 15 matches.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1734914904labto1734914904ofdlr1734914904owedi1734914904sni@o1734914904fni1734914904