Turkish football club president RESIGNS after hospitalising referee in a shocking on-pitch attack… as he issues an apology for the ‘grave incident’ after initially claiming ‘I only meant to spit at him’
- Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler on Monday
- Koca’s actions have been widely condemned and the official has now resigned
- Have you witnessed abuse of referees? Contact [email protected]
MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca has announced his resignation after his on-pitch attack on referee Halil Umut Meler, despite initially claiming he only meant to spit at the official.
Koca was seen striking Meler’s cheek beneath his left eye after Monday night’s match between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in the Turkish Super Lig.
The punch sent Meler to the ground, with others then laying into him with a series of kicks as he curled up on the grass covering his face.
Fans also invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored an equaliser seven minutes into eight minutes of injury time, prompting police to escort the referee to safety.
The actions have been condemned nationally by Turkish authorities, with world and European governing bodies FIFA and UEFA also speaking out against the violent scenes.
MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, centre, has resigned after attacking a referee
Meler was punched by Koca and kicked in the head on the ground after a match on Monday
Koca said he had resigned to prevent further harm to the club and apologised for his actions
Meler looked to protect his face after the punch while other individuals kicked him on the floor
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Koca, who has been the president of Ankaragucu since 2021, has now confirmed his resignation in a statement on the club’s website.
The 59-year-old admitted he felt ‘great embarrassment’ for his actions and was stepping down to ‘prevent any further harm’ to the club.
‘I would like to announce to the public that I have resigned from the MKE Ankaragucu Presidency in order to prevent any further harm to the Ankaragucu club, Ankaragucu fans, the community I am in and my family,’ Koca said.
READ MORE: Battered and bruised in a neck brace in hospital, Turkish ref who was punched by team’s president and kicked on the floor is seen for the first time since the incident which fractured his eye socket
‘I hope that this incident, which I, more than anyone else, cannot accept, will be a reason for our sports life, especially our football community, to be purified from mistakes, shortcomings and the culture of violence.
‘At the same time, I hope that the structural problems of Turkish football will be discussed more realistically due to this grave incident that I caused.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to apologize again to everyone I have upset, especially Ankaragucu fans.
‘I would like it to be known that I am deeply saddened that both the club I manage, the football community, and our country are remembered with such an event and image.’
Koca issued an apology to Meler and his family, as well as the Turkish refereeing community and the nation.
He admitted that attitudes that ‘cast a shadow on fair play’ do not belong in stadiums, adding he had attempted to take constructive initiatives since becoming club president.
The Ankaragucu president was earlier reported to have claimed he had not been responsible for the fractured eye socket suffered by the official, adding his intent was to spit into the referee’s face.
‘My aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face,’ Koca said, as reported by CNN Turk.
‘At this time, I slapped the referee in the face. The slap I gave did not cause a fracture.
‘After the slap I gave, the referee stood for about 5-10 seconds, then threw himself on the ground.
‘They immediately removed me from the scene because of my heart disease. Other than that, I am not aware of any incident that took place.’
Koca and two others have been placed in pre-trial detention for ‘injuring and threatening a public official’.
Koca, 59, had been president of Ankaragucu since 2021, and has considered running for mayor
Koca was earlier reported to have said he had only meant to have spat at the referee
Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game
Referee Meler has issued a statement after being rushed to hospital saying Koca had threatened his life.
‘Faruk Koca punched me under my left eye and I fell to the ground. While I was on the ground, they kicked my face and other parts of my body many times,’ Meler said in a statement. ‘Faruk Koca told me and my fellow referees: ‘I will finish you’.
‘Addressing me in particular, he said: ‘I will kill you’,’ Meler added.
Meler was pictured in his hospital bed sporting a black eye among other facial injuries, while there are concerns around his neck after multiple people kicked him while he was on the ground.
Reports from the hospital detail how the bleeding in his left eye has started to decrease and the cheek fracture he sustained will ‘gradually heal’. They also said there is no permanent damage following further facial and neurological tests.
Despite being on the receiving end of the attack, Turkish media reported Meler as initially saying ‘Thank you, it’s my fault’ to the police as he exited.
The match featured eight minutes of injury time and a red card for each side, with Rizespor defender Emirhan Topçu being sent off in the 95th minute, two minutes before the equalising goal.
Koca’s actions have been widely condemned both in Turkey and across world football.
A group of players, officials and security guards formed a protective huddle around Meler, who could be seen sporting a swollen eye in the moments shortly after the shocking attack
Koca’s attack on Meler has been widely condemned by leading figures in Turkey and abroad
The Turkish Football Federation has announced it suspended all league games indefinitely after an emergency meeting held to discuss the violence.
‘This attack is unfortunate and shameful in the name of football,’ federation chief Mehmet Buyukeksi said after the meeting. ‘We say enough is enough,’ he added, insisting that all involved in the violence would be punished.
Buyukeksi also blamed the attack on a culture of contempt toward referees in Turkey.
‘Everyone who has targeted referees and encouraged them to commit crimes is complicit in this despicable attack,’ he said.
‘The irresponsible statements of club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators targeting referees have opened the way for this attack.’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the attack.
‘Sports means peace and brotherhood. The sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports,’ he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Turkish interior ministry later released a video showing Erdogan placing a call to Meler in his hospital bed. ‘We are so deeply sorry and we wish you a speedy recovery,’ Erdogan told the injured referee in the clip.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino demanded action and slammed the events as ‘totally unacceptable’
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‘I told all our friends, my interior minister, my justice minister and all the other relevant friends to do what is necessary,’ Erdogan said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the events that took place after the match were ‘totally unacceptable and have no place in our sport or society’.
‘Without match officials there is no football,’ he added. ‘Referees, players, fans and staff have to be safe and secure to enjoy the game, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is strictly implemented and respected at all levels.’
The scenes were captured from multiple angles by photographers and on the live broadcast of the Turkish Super Lig match – the top flight of Turkish football.
The match finished 1-1 after Rizespor netted the last-gasp equaliser against Ankaragucu, who had been poised to win the match with an early opening goal.
However, the goal in the 97th minute of the 98-minute match saw the clash conclude in a draw – moments before the shocking twist of violence.
Rizespor players leave the field after the incident. The club later posted on X, formerly Twitter
Halil Umut Meler (centre, November 28) is one of Europe’s top referees, and regularly officiates games in the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier football competition
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Ankaragucu are reported to have cheered on the attack as a large crowd of players, coaching staff and security were quick to race to the scene and stop the assault, with the shaken Meler eventually helped to his feet.
Police formed a wall around him so he could escape to safety.
After being led away, he was seen sporting a swollen eye, with Turkish news outlets reporting that as he left the pitch, he said: ‘Thank you, it’s my fault.’
Meler is reported to have since watched the footage back and filed police complaints against everyone involved in the attack. He has also given a statement, according to Turkish media.
They also reported that he had become a father just days ago.
It is not known when matches in the division will resume.
A judicial investigation has been launched ‘against those responsible’ for the unprovoked assault, according to Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc.
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