ANKARA: A former football chief in Turkiye’s Super Lig was sentenced to more than three years in prison Monday over an on-pitch attack on a referee, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The incident occurred in December 2023 following a 1-1 draw between Ankara’s MKA Ankaragucu and visiting Caykur Rizespor in Turkiye’s top flight.
Footage from the scene showed Ankaragucu’s then president Faruk Koca rushing onto the pitch and punching referee Halil Umut Meler after he blew the final whistle, shouting: “I’m going to kill you!“
He appeared to be incensed over the ref’s decision to send off one of his players, and disallowing an earlier goal by Ankaragucu. Caykur had scored an equalizer in injury time.
Denouncing the attack as “despicable,” the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended Super Lig matches for eight days and initiated criminal proceedings against Koca and several others.
Several days later, Koca apologized and resigned as club president but insisted his team had been cheated by the referee.
The court on Monday handed him three years and seven months for “intentional injury to a public sports official” as well as six months and 20 days for “making threats.”
It also handed him a five-month suspended sentence for “violating the law on violence prevention in sports.”
During the incident, the referee — who fell to the ground after being punched — was also kicked several times by other club officials, leaving him with a head trauma.
The court also handed prison sentences to three other officials for causing, or trying to cause, “intentional injury” to a public sports official, with sentences ranging from one to five years behind bars.
The incident provoked uproar in Turkiye and a flurry of condemnation, including from FIFA, football’s world governing body.
Turkiye football club chief jailed over attack on ref
https://arab.news/8zrjs
Turkiye football club chief jailed over attack on ref
- Incident occurred in December 2023 following a 1-1 draw between Ankara’s MKA Ankaragucu and visiting Caykur Rizespor in Turkiye’s top flight
Liverpool draw ‘feels like defeat’, says Wirtz
- Arne Slot’s men are unbeaten in their past 12 games in all competitions
- Germany international Wirtz put the home side ahead at Anfield on Saturday
LONDON: Florian Wirtz said Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with lowly Burnley on Saturday “feels like a defeat” after the Premier League champions dropped points for the fourth straight game.
Arne Slot’s men are unbeaten in their past 12 games in all competitions but are struggling to kill teams off.
Germany international Wirtz put the home side ahead at Anfield on Saturday after Dominik Szoboszlai missed a penalty but Marcus Edwards levelled with the visitors’ only shot on target in the 65th minute.
Liverpool had a total of 32 shots, including 11 on target, but could not make their dominance count.
Wirtz, who has hit form after a slow start to his Anfield career, said the result was frustrating.
“It feels like a defeat,” he said. “When we had so many shots and so many on target, I think we had to score more goals.
“But some days are like this — you try everything but in the end, it doesn’t go in the goal. We only take one point but I can only say (in) the next game we go again and try to do better.”
Liverpool boss Slot bemoaned his side’s bluntness in attack and tendency to concede goals despite giving away few chances.
“We should have won this game,” he told the BBC. “There was not a lot I could ask more in terms of chance creation.”
The draw leaves Liverpool fourth in the Premier League table, seven points behind third-placed Aston Villa and one ahead of Manchester United, in fifth spot.
