December 12 – Turkish football has been plunged into all-out crisis with top-flight matches indefinitely suspended following an on-the-field attack on a referee by a club president, dubbed as the sport’s night of shame in the country.
Shocking scenes unfolded after the end of the Turkish Super Lig game between Ankaragüdü and Rizespor on Monday night.
The match at the Eryaman Stadium in Ankara ended in a 1-1 draw and after the final whistle Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca and other club officials stormed the pitch to seek a showdown with match referee Halil Umut Meler.
Dissatisfied with the officiating of Meler, who showed two red and six yellow cards in the match, Ankaragücü representatives attacked him, with club president Faruk Koca knocking Meler out with a blow to the head.
The referee collapsed to the ground and while covering his head with his hands, received several kicks from other individuals who had also invaded the field. As a result, Meler was hospitalised with a slight fracture near his eye but was not in a serious condition. He was expected to be discharged on Wednesday.
Immediately after the ugly incident, the management of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) held an urgent meeting and decided to suspend all the country’s football championships indefinitely.
Shortly afterwards, Koca – who appeared to be incensed at Meler for awarding a stoppage-time penalty that allowed visiting Caykur Rizespor to leave the capital with a draw – and two others were reportedly placed in pre-trial detention for “injuring and threatening a public official”.
The president of TFF Mehmet Büyükekşi released a long and passionate statement, declaring that “our FIFA-licensed referee Halil Umut Meler was subjected to a very bad and inhumane attack by self-aware criminals. We condemn this attack. We are closely monitoring Halil Umut Meler’s health condition.
“We wish a speedy recovery to our valuable referee. This despicable attack was not made only against Halil Umut Meler. It was made against all stakeholders of Turkish football.”
“Everyone who has ever targeted referees is an accomplice of this vile crime. Presidents, coaches, football players, referee commentators, those who target referees and put them in front of the public are responsible for this vile attack. Today, this inhumane and despicable attack was made against all stakeholders of Turkish football.
“The responsible club, the club president, its managers and all the criminals who attacked Halil Umut Meler will be punished in the most severe way.”
“We have postponed all the matches indefinitely. Enough is enough! Referees are humans too! Kicking and punching so much… Nobody should be hit like this. Do not devalue Turkish football any further. Let’s not disgrace Turkish football to the world.”
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose ruling AKP party is linked closely to the Ankara club, also posted a comment on X.
“I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after the MKE Ankaragücü-Çaykur Rizespor match played this evening, and I wish him a speedy recovery. Sports means peace and brotherhood,” wrote Erdogan. “Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports.”
Speaking to a local tv station, Koca suggested he didn’t remember what happened.
“My brain went crazy,” he said. “My eyesight blacked out! I don’t remember what I did!”
He too was reportedly hospitalised after apparently being considered to be at risk of a heart attack.
The incident pushed all other events off the front pages of the main newspapers in a nation where football passions run deep – and are often politically linked.
Speaking to reporters after visiting Meler in hospital, Buyukeksi said he hoped the incident would become a “milestone” for change for football in Turkey, which is bound to come under intense scrutiny after being selected to co-host Euro 2032 with Italy.
Contact the writers of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov and Andrew Warshaw, at oc.ll1714773519abtoo1714773519fdlro1714773519wedis1714773519ni@of1714773519ni1714773519,