After the violent attack on the referee at a Turkish first division game, an arrest warrant has been issued against the Ankaragücü club president, Faruk Koca, and two other suspects.
You are accused of injuring an official, wrote Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc on the X platform. The previous evening there were wild scenes after the game between Ankaragücü and Rizespor. The referee Halil Umut Meler was attacked by several people, including Koca.
Game operations are suspended
Pictures show Koca hitting the referee in the face with his fist. Meler sank to the ground while other people kicked him. Rizespor equalized 1-1 in the seventh minute of added time. In response, the Turkish Football Association postponed games in all leagues indefinitely.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the violent attack. “There is absolutely no place for violence in football, neither on nor off the field. The events following the Turkish Süper Lig match between MKE Ankaragücü and Çaykur Rizespor are completely unacceptable and have no place in our sport and in our society,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.
