A Turkish Super Lig game erupted in chaos on Monday night when the match referee was punched in the head by the president of one of the teams before being kicked in the face as he lay on the ground.
Ankaragucu’s president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face at the end of their home match after Rizespor scored a 97th-minute equaliser.
Koca entered the field and hit the referee when the final whistle blew in the 1-1 draw at Eryaman Stadium, footage from state broadcaster TRT showed.
Ankaragucu fans invaded the pitch after the game and Meler was also kicked when he fell during the ensuing melee. Meler eventually made it to the dressing room with the help of the police.
Turkey’s football federation (TFF) has decided to hold an extraordinary meeting following the trouble, TRT said. “Turkish football has been punched shamefully tonight. Everyone involved in this incident will pay the price,” TFF chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said, according to TRT.
A detention order has been issued for Koca, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that two people have already been detained as part of a judicial investigation into the incident.
A Fifa referee since 2017, 37-year-old Meler took charge of Lazio’s Champions League group game with Celtic on 28 November.
Referees in Turkey are often criticised by club managers and presidents for their decisions but are rarely the target of violent attacks. Ankaragucu are 11th in the standings on 18 points, three places below Rizespor on 22 points after 15 matches.
