Turkey’s football scene has once again been marred by chaos as İstanbulspor president Faik Sarıalioğlu ordered his team off the pitch during a match against Trabzonspor. This decision came after Sarıalioğlu was angered by the referee’s failure to award his team a penalty. As a result, the players left the field, causing the match to be suspended in the 73rd minute. This incident comes just a week after all football in Turkey was suspended due to an attack on a referee by Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca. Trabzonspor manager Abdullah Avci expressed his disappointment, calling it a sad day for football and stating that they would await the football federation’s decision.
The match between İstanbulspor and Trabzonspor took place in the aftermath of the suspension and saw İstanbulspor trailing 2-1 at the time of the incident. The situation escalated when Florian Loshaj went down in the box after a challenge from Batista Mendy, but the referee chose to continue the game. Despite Istanbulspor striker Simon Deli’s attempt to convince President Sarıalioğlu not to take the team off the field, the order was followed.
This incident follows the recent attack on referee Umut Meler by Ankaragucu president Koca, which left the referee with a fractured eye socket. Meler was later admitted to the hospital and two fans were seen kicking him as he lay on the ground. Despite his injuries, Meler stated that there were no health-related issues and that UEFA had reached out to him. He expressed his intention to discuss the matter at a later time and emphasized his desire to rest at home.
These incidents have cast a shadow over Turkish football, which had recently resumed after the earlier suspension. The return of football had been marked by the symbolic gesture of children wearing t-shirts with the word “respect” and presenting the referee with flowers. However, the recent events involving İstanbulspor and Ankaragucu have once again brought disrepute to the sport.
The Turkish football federation will now have to address the recent turmoil and take necessary steps to ensure the safety of referees and the smooth functioning of the sport. These incidents highlight the need for a more respectful and fair approach to the game and call for stricter measures to prevent such behavior in the future.
