YellowDanfo
SPORTS WORLD NEWS

Turkish Referee Assaulted During Game Leaves Hospital

Turkish Referee Assaulted During Game Leaves Hospital
Turkish Referee Assaulted During Game Leaves Hospital

The Turkish referee who was punched in a Turkish top-flight match on Monday has been released from hospital, BBC reports.

MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca ran on to the pitch and struck match official Halil Umut Meler after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor.

Koca was arrested on Tuesday and all league football has been suspended.

Mehmet Yorubulut, chief of medicine at Acibadem Hospital, said the Turkish referee Meler has a swollen eye but is in “good condition”.

After Koca punched Meler to the ground, he received several blows from others as he lay on the turf, and suffered injuries including a minor fracture.

The incident sparked chaotic scenes involving players and club officials.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Koca and two others had been arrested after prosecutors took statements and a judicial control decision had been imposed on three other suspects.

Koca later issued a statement via Ankaragucu saying he had resigned as club president and apologising for his actions, saying he felt “great embarrassment” for the “grave incident that I caused”.

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Meler in hospital and said the incident had “saddened and disturbed” him.

The Turkish Football Federation said Ankaragucu, its chairman, club officials and all those guilty of attacking the referee will be “punished in the strongest terms possible”.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the incident was “totally unacceptable” and violence had “no place in our sport or society”.

Meler, 37, is one of Turkey’s top referees and officiates international games for Fifa.

He is also on Uefa’s elite referee list and officiated West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season and Lazio’s Champions League group game with Celtic last month.

Related posts

Spurs Fan Joseph Watts Pleads Guilty To Attacking Aaron

yellowdanfo

Zelensky Says War ‘Is Coming Home’ To Russia

yellowdanfo

Breaking: Nigeria To Get €50m Grant From EU To Fight COVID-19

yellowdanfo

Sesame Street Introduces Its First Filipino Muppet

yellowdanfo

Gina Carano Rejects Disney’s Desire To Dismiss Her Suit

yellowdanfo

Spirit Airlines Apologises For Putting Child On Wrong Flight

yellowdanfo

Kanye West Says He Has Been Trying To Divorce Kim Kardashian

yellowdanfo

ENVOYS: Buhari receives letters of credence from three Envoys

yellowdanfo

Athena Strand: Suspect Charged With Sexual Assault

yellowdanfo

Nicki Minaj Settles Lawsuit Over ‘Cokehead’ Claims

yellowdanfo

Leave a Comment