Referee Attacked Viciously by Club President After a Draw in Turkish Super Lig Match

Football witnessed an ugly night in the sport’s history after Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler was attacked on the pitch in the Super Lig. Meler was officiating a game in the Turkish League between Ankaragucu and Rizespor yesterday December 11 at the Eryaman Stadium. After the end of the match, Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca launched a vicious attack on the FIFA referee.

Pictures from several journalists present, showed Koka hitting Meler on his cheek just below his left eye with this fist. This led to the referee falling and then being hurled at with kicks while he laid on the ground trying to protect his face. This heinous incident has sparked the outrage of the global football community including Turkey’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Following the attack, Halil Umut Meler was rescued from the scene by a large group of players, coaching staff and security. The referee was in shock as he was helped to get on his feet. He was eventually led away with a swollen eye. The attack’s primary cause was the match’s result that saw Rizespor netting an equaliser in the dying stages of the game. Ankaragucu had scored an early goal in the game and were poised to take the win on the night. However, in the 97th minute of the match, Adolfo Gaich stepped up for Rizespor to score the decisive goal. This led to the massive turmoil in the pitch causing the Super Lig to be suspended indefinitely until further notice.

Turkey’s Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tnc also revealed that a judicial investigation was already underway against the people responsible for the assault. He said that the Ankara Police Department was tasked with the identification of the suspects. The Minister of Internal Affairs Yerilkaya later posted about the situation on X. He wrote, “Faruk Koca is being treated in hospital under the supervision of our security forces. Detention procedures will be carried out after the treatment.” President Erdogan also reacted to the situation on X and said, “I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after the MKE Ankaragucu-Caykure Rizespor match played this evening, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Referee Halil Umut Meler has been a FIFA referee since 2017. Faruk Koca, on the other hand, has been the President of Akaragucu since 2021. He was even awarded the Fair Play Manager of the Month back in October 2022. Turkish football has often seen club managers and administrators criticise referee decisions but have rarely sparked a violent act. With the Super Lig being suspended indefinitely, Ankaragucu sits in the 11th position with 18 points. They are currently three places below Rizespor having played 15 matches.