The disgraced former president of Turkish club Ankaragucu was handed a lifetime ban by Turkey’s football federation on Dec 14 after punching a referee following a game earlier this week.
The Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) disciplinary board has also ordered Ankaragucu to play five home matches behind closed doors and fined the club €60,000 (S$87,350).
Club boss Faruk Koca rushed onto the pitch with a group of men following Ankaragucu’s draw with Caykur Rizespor on Dec 11, throwing a punch at referee Halil Umut Meler after he had blown the final whistle.
Koca, who was touted as a possible candidate for mayor of Ankara, subsequently resigned from his post, while all Turkish league matches were suspended until Dec 19.
He appeared to be incensed at Meler for sending off one of his players and then awarding a stoppage-time goal.
Meler fell to the ground and was kicked several times in the ensuing melee.
“Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a social media statement on the same day of the incident.
According to Turkish press reports, Koca also resigned from Mr Erdogan’s ruling AKP party.
Koca told one reporter earlier in 2023 that he could consider running for Ankara mayor as the AKP candidate in a closely watched municipal election scheduled for March 31.
Meanwhile, TFF chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said on Dec 13 that it had decided to resume league matches on Dec 19 after a one-week suspension, and heavily condemned violence.
“We will never allow attacks or disproportionate pressure on our referees. This incident needs to become a milestone, a turning point for Turkish football,” he told reporters in Istanbul.
Meler was discharged from an Ankara hospital on Dec 13 with a swollen and darkened eye but no other health issues.
Mehmet Yorubulut, chief doctor at Acibadem hospital, said the head fracture he suffered would heal in time, adding: “The bleeding in Meler’s left eye has almost completely stopped.”
Buyukeksi said he expected Meler, a respected 37-year-old with accreditation to referee international matches, to recover and join the officiating crew of the Euro 2024 championship to be held from June 14 to July 14 in Germany.
“We expect Halil Umut Meler to take part in Euro 2024. There is no possibility of him quitting refereeing right now,” he said. (StraitsTimes)