The club president who stormed the pitch and attacked a referee has been given a lifetime ban from football.
Halil Umut Meler was approached and punched in the face by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca following Monday night’s Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor. Meler, who was also kicked on the ground by another person, required hospital treatment while Koca was arrested
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF), in announcing a host of disciplinary measures on Thursday night, said Koca, 59, has been banned in response to the incident, which has sent shockwaves across the football world and triggered a debate about the treatment of officials.
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Meler had sent off one player from each side before Rizespor equalised in the seventh minute of injury time to force a 1-1 draw, with Koca invading the pitch after the game before hitting the referee.
Meler left hospital on Wednesday after being treated for injuries, including a small fracture under his eye. The country’s justice minister, Yilmaz Tunc, said on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday that Koca had been arrested “for injuring and threatening a public servant due to his public duty”. Koca then announced his resignation as president via the Ankaragucu website.
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Matches across all of Turkey’s leagues were suspended following the assault and it has since been confirmed by the TFF – which has also fined Ankaragucu £54,000 and ordered them to play five games behind closed doors among a number of sanctions following the incident – that they will resume next Tuesday, December 19.
The federation blamed the “despicable attack” on a toxic culture towards referees that it said had been fostered by many players and club officials. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also condemned the attack.
Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino reacted to the appalling scenes by telling Sky Sports News: “Enough is enough and this has to stop. I was shocked when I saw the images like everyone else. You can be excited at a match and you can feel for a team but there is no way we can accept anything like that to happen.”
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