President Faruk Koca jumped onto the field at the end of the match and attacked referee Halil Umut Meler
The match between Ankaragucu and Rizespor ended in a 1-1 draw
A shameful episode shook Turkish football this Monday, when Faruk Kocapresident of Ankaragucucarried out a reprehensible act by punching to the main match referee against him Rizespor. The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was not to the liking of kocawho decided to go down to the field and attack the referee Halil Umut Meler.
The incident was recorded in images that went viral on social networks, showing the moment when koca It hits the referee’s right eye, knocking him to the ground. Subsequently, Meler He received more blows from other people linked to the Ankaragucu, including a kick to the ribs. The players of the Rizespor They had to intervene to protect the referee and escort him to the locker room tunnel.
The reactions were immediate, with Mehmet Büyükekşipresident of the Turkish Football Federationcondemning the act: “Tonight a shameful blow has been thrown at Turkish football.” Emre Belözoğlucoach of Ankaragucu, expressed his regret, while kocaauthor of the punch, alleged: “My mind went blank, my vision was lost. I don’t remember what I did.”
The Association of Active Football Referees in Türkiye has responded by calling on all its referees not to participate in the competitions. Furthermore, the government, through the president Recep Tayyip Erdoğancondemned the attack and expressed: “We will never allow violence to occur in Turkish sports.” koca He was arrested and taken to the hospital under the supervision of security forces, before being taken to the Ankara West Prosecutor General’s Officewhere he will remain detained.