Turkey Cancels All Football League Matches Following Assault on Referee

Turkey has canceled all football league games after the assault on a referee on the field.

Matches in all Turkish football leagues have been postponed indefinitely after the president of the "Ankaragucu" club, Faruk Kodja, attacked a referee following a Super League match against "Rizespor" (1-1). This announcement was made by the president of the Turkish Football Federation, Mehmet Buyukseki, as reported by the local publication NTV.

"In coordination with the state, we have begun implementing all punitive measures that attackers deserve. All criminals involved in the attack will be punished severely, as well as the club that committed it. We held an emergency meeting and postponed matches in all leagues indefinitely. This attack is a disgrace for Turkish football," stated Mehmet Buyukseki.

The head referee of the match, Halil Meler, in the first half, disallowed the home team's goal and, in the 50th minute, sent off "Ankaragucu" forward Ali Sou. Moreover, in the 97th minute of the game, the hosts conceded a goal and lost the match.

All of this displeased the president of the capital club, who, after the final whistle, ran onto the field accompanied by security personnel, hitting Meler in the face with a fist. When the referee fell, he was kicked, and other players from "Ankaragucu" joined the assault.

The brawl was only stopped with the help of stadium security personnel. In the referee's room, doctors provided first aid to the head referee, who was then taken to the hospital.

"Those who committed this heinous attack did it not only with Halil Umut Meler, but with all participants in Turkish football. Anyone who has attacked referees before today is an accomplice to this heinous crime," said the president of the Turkish Football Federation after this resonant event.

Earlier, The Gaze reported that in football, starting next year, 10-minute suspensions could be introduced for cynical fouls and demonstrating dissatisfaction with referee decisions.

Similar rules have been tested in various amateur leagues since 2019, but now they will be tested at the professional level. In addition to the new rules, a provision allowing only the team captain to communicate with the referee on the football field is also planned. The Football Association of England reported a 38% overall reduction in fouls in 31 leagues where these innovations were implemented.