A referee in Turkey’s first division football league was punched in the face by a club president, before being kicked as he tried to protect himself on the ground.
Key points:
- Referee Halil Umut Meler was hit by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca after a 1-1 draw in Ankara.
- The referee was then kicked while on the ground, while Koca required medical treatment in hospital.
- The violence follows Greece banning all fans from football matches for two months after the riots.
Referee Halil Umut Meler was punched by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, who ran onto the field after his team conceded the equalizer in the 97th minute in a 1-1 Super Lig draw against Caykur Rizespor.
Meler was then kicked several times by other people as he cowered on the ground.
Koca had to be treated in hospital after being assaulted, which allegedly sparked the fight, and “detention procedures” must be carried out after treatment, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
He added that other people had been arrested for their role in the incident, which he “strongly condemned”.
“I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after the MKE Ankaragucu-Çaykur Rizespor match played this evening, and I wish him a speedy recovery,” said Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
“Sport is synonymous with peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to occur in Turkish sport.”
Local club MKE Ankaragucu expressed their regret, saying in a statement: “We are saddened by the incident that took place this evening.
“We apologize to the Turkish football public and the entire sports community for the sad incident that occurred after the Çaykur Rizespor match at Eryaman Stadium.”
Galatasaray, one of the country’s biggest teams, has called an emergency meeting to allow clubs to tackle what they see as a growing problem of violence in Turkish football.
“We must all come together today and act to solve the problems we are part of,” read a Galatasaray statement.
Greek football bans fans from playing for two months
The incident came as it was announced that all top-flight soccer matches in Greece would be played without fans in stadiums for the next two months, in the latest crackdown on fan violence following a sports-related riot last week that left a police officer seriously injured.
The government announced on Monday that it would introduce emergency legislation to bring the ban on supporters into force immediately. It will end on February 12 with a possible extension to follow.
Last weekend’s professional football matches were postponed following a series of violent incidents at matches and a riot last week outside a volleyball match believed to have been carried out by organized groups of football hooligans.
The match was between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, both of which belong to the football teams of the same name.
Greek police officers stage a protest after their colleague was seriously injured by a crowd of volleyball fans. (Getty Images: Costas Baltas/Anadolu)
The 31-year-old police officer injured during the clashes remains in a coma after being hit in the left leg by a flare, causing heavy bleeding and cardiac arrest.
An 18-year-old man is in police custody.
“This deadly attack on a police officer is not the first incident of extreme fan violence in recent years. Criminals posing as sports fans are committing serious crimes, seriously injuring and killing people,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told reporters.
He said the 14 clubs competing in the first division Super League would have to install surveillance cameras inside stadiums and use personalized ticketing systems that would require the holder to show identification at the entrance before being allowed to admit supporters.
Violence has plagued Greek football for decades, despite repeated efforts to crack down on fan associations accused of being responsible. Two fans have been killed in separate incidents in the past two years.
ABC/AP/Reuters
