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Fans of Turkish club Trabzonspor stormed the pitch following the club's 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahçe on Sunday.
According to Reuters, Fenerbahçe players were celebrating their win when a Trabzonspor supporter ran toward the center circle. More supporters came onto the pitch and began shoving stadium security as well.
Footage of the incident surfaced on social media. A supporter is shown running at the Fenerbahçe players after scaling the advertising hoardings. Defender Bright Osayi-Samuel confronts the person, which further escalate the situation:
FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued a statement condemning what unfolded at Papara Park.
"The violence witnessed after the Turkish Süper Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe is absolutely unacceptable — on or off the field, it has no place in our sport or society," he said.
"I have said it before, and I will say it again — without exception, in football, all players have to be safe and secure to play the game which brings such joy to so many people all over the world."
Infantino also called for the relevant authorities in Turkey to investigate the matter
Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey's minister of the interior, announced on X such an inquiry is already underway with officials working to identity the supporters who stormed the pitch.
Above all, sport is gentlemanship. It is never acceptable for violence to take place on football pitches," Yerlikaya said (via Reuters).
Fenerbahçe took a 2-0 lead Sunday before Trabzonspor equzlized from the penalty spot in the 78th minute. Michy Batshuayi provided the winning goal in the 87th minute, at which point some Trabzonspor supporters began throwing objects onto the pitch, per the BBC.
Turkish club Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca was arrested Tuesday after punching referee Halil Umut Meler in the face after his team's match against Rizespor on Monday, according to TMZ Sports.
Per Reuters (h/t ESPN), after the final whistle was blown in a 1-1 draw following Rizespor's equalizer in the 97th minute, Koca was seen punching Meler in the face. Footage of the confrontation was captured on state broadcaster TRT.
Koca apologized in a statement while also announcing he would be resigning, via TMZ Sports:
As someone who has always taken constructive initiatives in this direction since the day I became the MKE Ankaragücü Presidency, I feel great embarrassment for having caused the creation of an exactly opposite environment.
I would like to announce to the public that I have resigned from the MKE Ankaragücü Presidency in order to prevent any further harm to the Ankaragücü club, Ankaragücü fans, the community I am in and my family.
After the Super Lig match, Ankaragucu fans stormed the pitch at Eryaman Stadium. Meler was also kicked by unknown assailants before eventually making it back to the dressing room with the help of police.
Per TMZ Sports, the individuals who allegedly kicked Meler were also arrested.
TRT reported that Turkey's football federation, TFF, will hold an "extraordinary meeting" in the wake of the incident.
"Turkish football has been punched shamefully tonight. Everyone involved in this incident will pay the price," TFF Chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said, per TRT.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Monday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that a detention order had been issued for Koca and two people were detained in relation to the judicial investigation of the situation.
Meler has been a FIFA referee since 2017.
Following Monday's match, Ankaragucu now sits 11th in the Super Lig standings with 18 points, three spots below Rizespor, which has 22 points through 15 matches.
Trabzonspor midfielder John Obi Mikel has said he does "not feel comfortable" playing football ahead of his team's clash with Istanbul Basaksehir on Sunday.
While a number of major European leagues have postponed their schedules because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, matches in the Turkish Super Lig are being played; two games went ahead on Friday, three will be played on Saturday, while three more will be played on Sunday and another on Monday.
While fixtures are being fulfilled in the Super Lig, the Turkish government have confirmed all football matches will be played behind closed doors until the end of April.
Trabzonspor will host the Istanbul outfit on Sunday, but in a statement on Instagram (h/t Goal), Mikel made it clear he didn't feel at ease going out onto the field.
"There is more to life than football," he said. "I do not feel comfortable and don’t want to play football in this situation. Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones in this critical time. Season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times."
Galatasaray forward Radamel Falcao offered his support to Mikel on social media, saying "you are right" and "life is more important than football." Falcao's side will face Besiktas in the Istanbul derby.
The Super Lig have opted against falling in line with other European leagues and cancelling matches. Per B/R Football, all five of the major leagues on the continent have postponed matches for the foreseeable future:
Per CNN, there are more than 142,000 global cases of the coronavirus, and in excess of 5,300 people have died.
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho will leave Sivasspor for fellow Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.
As reported by BBC Sport the Turkish Super Lig leaders announced the news on Thursday. He will join former Citizens Emmanuel Adebayor and Gael Clichy, strengthening Basaksehir as they push for their first ever league title.
Robinho returned to European football earlier this year after spells in China and his native Brazil. He's found some success at Sivasspor, scoring eight goals in 16 Super Lig appearances this season, including four in his last two matches.
As noted by BBC Sport he was sentenced to nine years in prison last year for his role in a gang rape, but that sentence has been suspended while appeals take place.
One of many wonderkinds to emerge from the Santos academy, Robinho arrived at Real Madrid with massive expectations in 2005. He found limited success in Spain before joining City in 2008, the same day the Abu Dhabi United Group took control of the club. His signing was seen as the first step toward success for the Sky Blues.
The Brazilian flopped at the Etihad Stadium, however, and was sent back on loan to Santos before moving to Milan in 2010. His first season with the Rossoneri was a success but he couldn't continue his good form.
As shared by Turkish Football this year's Super Lig has been an odd one, presenting Basaksehir with a golden opportunity to win their first title:
The club has only been around since 1990 and is backed by the government, per James Kelly of These Football Times. Highly ambitious and desperate to upset the established order of Turkish football, Basaksehir have loaded up on veteran, big-name players.
Robinho will join a core that also includes Adebayor, Clichy, Arda Turan and Gokhan Inler. The club finished 2018 with just two wins in their last six outings across all competitions, so investments in the January transfer window were expected.
The current Basaksehir top scorer is Edin Visca, with six goals in the Super Lig.
Galatasaray hope to sign Chelsea playmaker Cesc Fabregas on a free transfer next summer, according to Turkish source Sozcu (h/t Emre Sarigul of Turkish-Football.com).
Fabregas is said to want to move on in search of more playing time, with Galatasaray hoping he's not offered a new contract by the Blues. It would mean the 31-year-old would be available for nothing once this season ends.
Letting Fabregas go on a free would be bordering on reckless by Chelsea. The Spaniard is still one of the more astute passers in England's top flight:
His eye for a defence-splitting pass has made Fabregas a record-breaker:
Fabregas has showcased his vision and intelligence to help Chelsea win two Premier League titles, although he's been a bit performer since acting as the creative fulcrum for Jose Mourinho's team in 2014/15.
Mourinho's successor, Antonio Conte, often favoured a two-man central midfield featuring destroyers Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante. Conte left the club this summer to be replaced by Maurizio Sarri, a manager whose progressive tactics should suit Fabregas.
Sarri likes his teams to move the ball quickly and incisively between the lines. His preference for keeping things neat and tidy on the deck, known as "Sarriball," could be the catalyst for reviving Fabregas' career at Stamford Bridge.
Instead, the former Arsenal and Barcelona star has made just three starts in all competitions. In fairness to Fabregas, he has impressed when he's been given chances.
He was in fine form during the 2-1 win away to Liverpool in the 2018 Carabao Cup back in September, with Football.London's Rob Guest saying it was "hard to tell he's been missing through injury after a positive performance."
Fabregas still has the ability to be a major asset for Chelsea's free-flowing brand of football, yet Sarri appears unconvinced since he's signed Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic and restored Ross Barkley to the starting XI to ensure creativity in midfield.
Chelsea aren't lacking for playmakers, but Sarri would be wise to reconsider Fabregas' status. He can still make the Blues tick in this season's title race.
Galatasaray's 2-1 win over Trabzonspor at Turk Telekom Arena on Sunday was marred by chaotic scenes, as the away side finished the game with just seven men.
The drama reached a boiling point in the 87th minute, when Salih Dursun was sent off after picking up a red card and showing it to the referee, who had dropped it in the midst of complaints from the Trabzonspor players.
The incident was reminiscent of one in which Paul Gascoigne received a booking for showing the referee a yellow card during a game between Rangers and Hibernian in 1995.
Durson's harsher punishment can probably be put down to his somewhat more aggressive conduct...especially compared to Gazza's jovial behaviour.
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