Tragedy in Turkey
Football fan dies after falling from the stands
02/05/2026 – 10:13 p.mReading time: 1 min.
In the cup game between Kocaelispor and Beşiktaş, sport took a back seat. A fan was so badly injured during the game that he died in hospital.
Turkish football is mourning the death of a fan. Harda Kaçmaz, a supporter of the first division club Kocaelispor, fell from the stands on Thursday during the cup game between his favorite club and Beşiktaş Istanbul. As the Turkish Football Association TFF confirmed in the evening, the fan succumbed to his injuries.
Accordingly, he was transported to the hospital, but Kaçmaz could no longer be saved there. The reasons for his fall are not yet known.
The TFF, in an official statement, expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased and the Kocaelispor community. The club from the province of Kocaeli also released a statement: “Unfortunately, we have lost Harda. We wish God’s blessings to our fan Harda Kaçmaz, who died in the hospital, and express our condolences to his family, his loved ones and our community. We will never forget you, Harda.”
The cup game, the sporting aspect of which was pushed into the background due to the tragedy surrounding the deceased fan, ended 1-1. Beşiktaş missed out on an early entry into the quarter-finals of the cup.
