Beating scandal in Turkey
Ankaragücü boss brutally punches referee
December 12, 2023, 6:21 a.m
After the final whistle of the game Ankaragücü against Rizespor in the Turkish Süper Lig, there was a scandal. The Ankaragücü boss runs towards the referee and knocks him out with a punch to the head. Lying on the ground, he receives more kicks.
Shocking images from Turkey: After the end of the Süper Lig game between Ankaragücü and Rizespor (1:1), the president of the host team’s fuses blow. Completely out of his mind, Faruk Koca storms onto the field and knocks out referee Halil Umut Meler with a punch. As he falls to the ground, he receives kicks in the head from people around him before security intervenes and can protect the referee. He was finally able to get up on his own.
However, the brutal attack had consequences for the 39-year-old. Head injuries, a broken cheekbone and a bruise to the eye were discovered in the hospital, according to international media reports. As the “Kicker” reports, citing “beIN Sports”, the doctor who treated him, Mehmet Yörübulut, said: Currently “there is no danger to his life. He has bleeding around his left eye and a small tear there.” It is still unclear what exactly the reason for the attack was. Ankaragücü conceded the equalizer in the 97th minute.
“As the MKE Ankaragücü sports club, we are saddened by the incident that occurred this evening. We apologize to the Turkish football audience and the entire sports community,” the club said in a first statement. The incredible attack has legal consequences for the attackers: Koca and the other violent perpetrators have been arrested for the time being. This was stated by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç. As national media continue to report, the referees no longer want to compete this week. The association is said to have called a special meeting.
The head of the association also spoke up in the evening: “First of all, I would like to emphasize that everyone who attacks the referees at every opportunity and doesn’t know where it will end should think about what happened tonight. Turkish football has been dealt a shameful blow. Everyone involved in this incident will pay the price.” And President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also chimed in: “Sport means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to find its way into Turkish sport,” he wrote on X.