Ex-President of Turkish football club Ankaragucu was handed a lifetime ban by Türkiye’s football federation (TFF) on Thursday, 14 December 2023, for punching a referee following a match earlier this week.
TFF’s disciplinary board also ordered Ankaragucu to play five home matches behind closed doors with no spectators and fined the club $66,000.
The disgraced ex-president was seen rushing onto the pitch after the full-time whistle following Ankaragucu’s draw with Caykur Rizespor on Monday, 11 December 2023, throwing a punch at referee Halil Umut Meler after he blew the whistle.
Faruk Koca, ex-President Ankaragucu, was touted as a possible candidate for mayor of Ankara, but his recent antics have made him an impossible candidate.
All Turkish league matches are suspended till 19 December 2023, following the unfortunate incident.
Meler, the referee, fell to the ground and was kicked several times which injured him severely. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a social media statement on Monday: “Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence.”
Personal safety is a basic necessity that was eroded in this incident. Meler is an elite-level UEFA referee, who recently refereed in a Europa League match between Celtic and Lazio. This episode will stay with him for times to come.
Source: Pro Pakistani