President of the Turkish club Ankaragucu Faruk Koca attacked the referee after the match
President of the Turkish Ankaragucu Faruk Koca hit referee Halil Umut Meler after the match against Rizespor in the 15th round of the Super League. Sabah Spor reports.
The functionary punched the referee in the face, he ended up on the lawn, after which he received kicks from several people who ran up to him. The incident occurred after the final whistle. According to Koji, he planned to spit in the referee’s face and his blow was not strong. The victim was hospitalized.
The incident occurred due to incorrect decisions and provocative behavior of the referee. My goal was to verbally respond to the referee’s actions and spit in his face. Then I hit him in the face. This slap did not cause a fracture. Afterwards, he stood for ten seconds and then threw himself to the ground.
Ankaragucu President Koca faces criminal penalties
According to A Spor, the president of Ankaragucu may be prosecuted under the article of intentionally causing harm to a public servant. At the moment, the functionary and three other participants in the attack have been arrested.
In addition to imprisonment, Koja faces suspension from football activities for a period of 1.5-2 years. It is emphasized that the punishment can be doubled due to an attack on a referee on the football field.
Photo: Emin Sansar/Anadolu/Getty Images
Turkish Football Federation suspends championship
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) issued a statement following the incident. They noted that matches in all leagues have been postponed indefinitely.
This inhumane and heinous attack was carried out against everyone involved in Turkish football. The culprits will be punished most severely
At the time of suspension, 15 rounds had been played in the Turkish Super League. The leadership in the championship is shared by Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. The teams have 40 points each.
The injured referee decided to retire
The referee informed his colleagues who visited him in the hospital about his decision. “This job is over for me. I can’t go on anymore,” Mehler said.
The referee is 37 years old, he has been working at matches in the elite division of the Turkish Championship since 2015, and two years later received his first assignment to a European Cup match. In 2021, the Turk officiated at the Europa League meeting between Leicester and Spartak Moscow. In 2022, the referee worked at a meeting between St. Petersburg Zenit and Betis as part of the same tournament.
Source: Lenta
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