Turkish football to resume December 19 after referee attack

Turkey’s football leagues will resume play on December 19, ending a brief suspension caused by a violent attack on a referee, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Wednesday.

Matches were suspended hours after MKA Ankaragücü club president Faruk Koca rushed onto the pitch and punched referee Halil Umut Meler after the final whistle in Monday’s first division match in the Turkish capital.

Meler was released from an Ankara hospital on Wednesday after observation and receiving a phone call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

TFF Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi said the sport’s governing body will announce penalties for the altercation on Thursday.

He said he has known Koca for years and that he was not the kind of person to commit such an act.

He told reporters that weekend matches will be rescheduled to help deal with the incident’s repercussions.

“We had decided to postpone the matches in all leagues indefinitely. With the decision we took today, all leagues will restart on Tuesday, December 19,” Büyükekşi said.

Büyükekşi added 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 between June and July in Germany.

“We expect Halil Umut Meler to take part in Euro 2024. There is no possibility of him quitting refereeing right now.”

Images of Monday’s incident showed Koca rushing onto the pitch with a group of men and knocking out Meler with a blow to the left side of his face.

Meler was kicked several times in the ensuing melee.

Koca appeared to be incensed at Meler for sending off one of his players and then awarding a stoppage-time goal that allowed visiting Çaykur Rizespor to leave Ankara with a 1-1 draw.

Meler released a statement Tuesday 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.

“Faruk Koca told me and my fellow referees, ‘I will finish you.’ Addressing me in particular, he said, ‘I will kill you’.”