Last minute: What happened after the Ankaragücü – Çaykur Rizespor match continues to be on the agenda. After referee Halil Umut Meler’s statements about Emre Belözoğlu, what happened in the locker room corridors was revealed. Here are those images…
In the 15th week of the Super League, MKE Ankaragücü hosted Çaykur Rizespor on its field. After the final whistle of the match, Faruk Koca attacked the referee of the match, Halil Umut Meler, and punched him. After the incident, Halil Umut Meler was taken to the hospital and treated. Faruk Koca and the 2 people with him were arrested. While Faruk Koca subsequently resigned from the club’s presidency, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) sentenced Koca to 5 years of deprivation of rights. Since Koca’s sentence exceeded 3 years, he was punished with permanent deprivation of rights in accordance with Article 52/2 of the Football Disciplinary Instruction. Following these developments, referee Halil Umut Meler made a statement as follows: “Emre Belözoğlu planned and provoked. Although the person who did that action to me, the person who punched me, apologized to me and my family in writing, Emre Belözoğlu did not apologize.” MKE Ankaragücü Club Coach Emre Belözoğlu replied, “After the match, I told Halil Umut Meler that I was very sorry about the events and apologized many times. I never provoked Halil Umut Meler, including this match.”
Following the incident, MKE Ankaragücü Club released footage of what happened in the corridors that night to the media.