Battered and bruised Turkish referee is discharged from hospital with ‘swelling’ and a ‘small fracture’ after he was viciously punched by team’s president and kicked on the floor in match that shut down Turkish football
A Turkish referee who was punched and then kicked in the head by the club president has been released from hospital.
Turkish football was plunged into chaos – in what national media dubbed a “night of shame” – on Monday when MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca launched a brutal attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after his team drew 1-1 with Caykur Rizespor in Super League match.
Mehler was photographed beaten, bruised and wearing a neck brace at the hospital on Tuesday, but after a series of additional tests he was released on Wednesday morning.
Photos showed Mehler waving to the crowd gathered outside the hospital, still sporting a black eye on his left side.
Speaking after Mehler’s discharge, the chief physician of the Ankara hospital gave parting words: “He is in good spirits. Wherever he goes, he will have control (further). He has no problems except for a slight swelling under his eye.
“We wear a neck brace as a precaution. The fracture (of the cheek) will heal over time, it was still a small fracture. There is no more bleeding.”
Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler was discharged from Ankara hospital on Wednesday morning.
The match official sported a glittering black eye after the brutal attack on Monday night.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the injured referee in hospital on Tuesday.
Türkiye was completely shocked by the incident and the league was suspended for a week.
Shocking footage of the impact on the field showed President Koji’s fist slamming into Mehler’s cheek below his left eye, sending the official to the ground. The others then struck him with a series of kicks as he curled up on the grass, covering his face.
Fans also took to the pitch after Rizespor equalized seven minutes into eight minutes of stoppage time, prompting police to escort the referee to safety.
CNN Türk Istanbul News Director Nihat Uludağ detailed on air how two of those who were detained for kicking the referee in the head were given access to the match with VIP tickets. Both fans are said to be “known” to the club as they are now the subject of a police investigation.
Despite being attacked, Turkish media reported that Meler told police as he left: “Thank you, it’s my fault.”
It was not immediately clear whether Mehler was apologizing for the large amount of injury time or for sending off two players. The match featured eight minutes of stoppage time and a red card for each team, with Rizespor defender Emirhan Topcu being sent off in the 95th minute, two minutes before the equalizing goal.
The referee is believed to have been left with a broken cheek and Koca, who reportedly has heart problems, was hospitalized as a precaution but was later taken into custody after treatment, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
The Turkish Football Federation immediately announced it was suspending all league games indefinitely following an emergency meeting held to discuss the violence.
“This attack is deplorable and shameful in the name of football,” federation head Mehmet Buyukeksi said after the meeting.
“We say enough is enough,” he added, insisting that all those involved in the violence will be punished.
The moment the fist of Faruk Koca, president of a top football club, touches the face of referee Halil Umut Meler after a Turkish Super League match on Monday night.
MKE Ankaragucu president made a vicious attack (pictured) on referee Mehler after his team drew 1-1 with Caykur Rizespor in the Super League.
The disgusting scenes began when President Ankaragucu hit the referee in the face
Buyukeksi also blamed the attack on a culture of disrespect for judges in Turkey.
“All those who harassed judges and encouraged them to commit crimes are complicit in this heinous attack,” he said.
“Irresponsible statements by club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators against referees paved the way for this attack.”
Turkish President Erdogan also condemned the attack.
“Sport means peace and brotherhood. This sport is incompatible with violence. We will never tolerate violence in Turkish sports,” he wrote on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the events that occurred after the match were “completely unacceptable and have no place in our sport or in society.”
“Without match officials there is no football,” he added. “Referees, players, fans and staff must be safe to enjoy the game and I urge the relevant authorities to ensure this rule is strictly enforced and enforced at all levels.”
Galatasaray president Dursun Aydin Ozbek said on Tuesday: “Things like this (such as an attack on a referee) should not happen.
“These incidents, which particularly undermine the brand value of Turkish football and the image of Turkish football abroad, cause enormous damage to football.
Following the blow, the match official fell to the ground and suffered a black eye.
Mehler tried to protect his face after being hit while other people kicked him on the floor.
A group of players, officials and security guards surrounded Mehler, who could be seen with a swollen eye shortly after the shocking attack.
Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop abuse of referees at all levels of the game
‘I was shocked. Why did the President and his friends attack the arbitrator like that? Why are they kicking the referee to the ground? It’s impossible to understand.
“In the subsequent period, the leagues were suspended, but the Turkish Football Federation, the Club Union and all the clubs will come together and we will do everything possible to somehow put an end to this and prevent similar incidents from developing in the subsequent period. .’
The disgusting scenes were captured by photographers from different angles and during a live broadcast of a match in the Turkish Super League, the top division of Turkish football.
The match ended 1-1 after Rizespor made a last-gasp equalizer against Ankaragucu, who were poised to win the match with an early goal.
However, a goal in the 97th minute of the 98-minute match resulted in the match ending in a draw – moments before a shocking outbreak of violence.