Turkish football president who punched referee screamed ‘I will kill you’ as he was being kicked on the ground, victim reveals: Arrested club official admits he ‘went crazy’ after 97th-minute penalty cost them victory

• Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler on Monday
• Koca himself was taken to hospital, but has since appeared in court in Ankara
• Have you witnessed abuse of referees? Contact [email protected] 

A Turkish referee who was punched by a club president and then kicked in the head on the ground last night has said his assailant threatened to kill him.

MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca launched the vicious attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after his side drew 1-1 against Caykur Rizespor in the Super Lig.

Shocking images of the on-pitch sucker-punch show Koca’s fist connecting with Meler’s cheek beneath his left eye, sending the official to the ground. Others then laid into him with a series of kicks as he curled up on the grass covering his face.

Koca appeared to be incensed at Meler for awarding a 97th-minute penalty kick that allowed visiting Caykur Rizespor to leave the capital with the draw.

The 37-year-old match official was shown standing minutes later with a black eye that had swelled up the left part of his face. He later released a statement after being rushed to hospital 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 in a statement. ‘Faruk Koca told me and my fellow referees: ‘I will finish you’.

‘Addressing me in particular, he said: ‘I will kill you’,’ Meler added.

A Turkish referee (pictured) who was punched by a club president and then kicked in the head on the ground last night has said his assailant threatened to kill him 

The MKE Ankaragucu president launched the vicious attack (pictured) on referee  Meler (second left) after his side drew 1-1 against Caykur Rizespor in the Super Lig

Abhorrent scenes started with the president of Ankaragucu punching the referee in the face

Meler was pictured for the first time after the incident in hospital after he was punched to the ground and kicked in the face at the end of a match

Meler was pictured in his hospital bed sporting a black eye among other facial injuries, while there are concerns around his neck after multiple people kicked him while he was on the ground. 

READ MORE: Battered and bruised in a neck brace in hospital, Turkish ref who was punched by team’s president and kicked on the floor is seen for the first time since the incident which fractured his eye socket

 

Reports from the hospital detail how the bleeding in his left eye has started to decrease and the cheek fracture he sustained will ‘gradually heal’. They also said there is no permanent damage following further facial and neurological tests. 

As the top-flight SuperLig indefinitely suspended matches and a court placed Koca and two others in pre-trial detention for ‘injuring and threatening a public official’, the stricken referee received a digital visit from Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Koca admitted to Beyaz TV immediately after the match that he had lost control, and that he had no recollection of what he did on the pitch.

‘My brain went crazy,’ Koca said. 

‘My eyesight blacked out! I don’t remember what I did!’

Fans also invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored the equaliser seven minutes into injury time, prompting police to escort the referee to safety.

Despite being on the receiving end of the attack, Turkish media reported Meler as initially saying ‘Thank you, it’s my fault’ to the police as he exited.

The match featured eight minutes of injury time and a red card for each side, with Rizespor defender Emirhan Topçu being sent off in the 95th minute, two minutes before the equalising goal.

It is understood that the referee was left with a cheek fracture, while Kocaw – who is reported to have heart problems – was hospitalised as a precaution, but would later be taken into custody following treatment, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Later, it was reported that Koca – who registered a blood pressure of 190 – had been sent to an Ankara courthouse along with six others involved in the incident. Turkey’s Spor Arena news outlet said Koca and three others were officially arrested.

The incident pushed all other events off the front pages of the main newspapers in a nation where football passions run deep – and are often politically linked. 

The federation announced it suspended all league games indefinitely after an emergency meeting held to discuss the violence.

‘This attack is unfortunate and shameful in the name of football,’ federation chief Mehmet Buyukeksi said after the meeting. ‘We say enough is enough,’ he added, insisting that all involved in the violence would be punished.

The match official was sent crashing to the ground after the punch and sustained a black eye

Meler collapsed to the ground after he was struck by Koca after the conclusion of the 1-1 draw

Koca stormed onto the pitch after his side’s draw against Rizespor and assaulted the official

Meler looked to protect his face after the punch while other individuals kicked him on the floor

Buyukeksi also blamed the attack on a culture of contempt toward referees in Turkey.

‘Everyone who has targeted referees and encouraged them to commit crimes is complicit in this despicable attack,’ he said. 

‘The irresponsible statements of club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators targeting referees have opened the way for this attack.’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the attack.

‘Sports means peace and brotherhood. The sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports,’ he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The Turkish interior ministry later released a video showing Erdogan placing a call to Meler in his hospital bed. ‘We are so deeply sorry and we wish you a speedy recovery,’ Erdogan told the injured referee in the clip.

‘I told all our friends, my interior minister, my justice minister and all the other relevant friends to do what is necessary,’ Erdogan said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the events that took place after the match were ‘totally unacceptable and have no place in our sport or society’.

‘Without match officials there is no football,’ he added. ‘Referees, players, fans and staff have to be safe and secure to enjoy the game, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is strictly implemented and respected at all levels.’

The scenes were captured from multiple angles by photographers and on the live broadcast of the Turkish Super Lig match – the top flight of Turkish football. 

The match finished 1-1 after Rizespor netted the last-gasp equaliser against Ankaragucu, who had been poised to win the match with an early opening goal.

However, the goal in the 97th minute of the 98-minute match saw the clash conclude in a draw – moments before the shocking twist of violence.

Ankaragucu are reported to have cheered on the attack as a large crowd of players, coaching staff and security were quick to race to the scene and stop the assault, with the shaken Meler eventually helped to his feet. 

Police formed a wall around him so he could escape to safety.  

A linesman runs in to assist referee Meler after he is punched to the ground by the president

Meler is seen lying on the ground after being punched and kicked

Koca could be seen walking away after the confrontation as others tried to speak to him

After being led away, he was seen sporting a swollen eye, with Turkish news outlets reporting that as he left the pitch, he said: ‘Thank you, it’s my fault.’

Meler is reported to have since watched the footage back and filed police complaints against everyone involved in the attack. He has also given a statement, according to Turkish media.

They also reported that he had become a father just days ago. 

It is not known when matches in the division will resume. 

A judicial investigation has been launched ‘against those responsible’ for the unprovoked assault, according to Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc. 

Tunc said the Ankara Police Department was tasked with identifying suspects.

Turkey’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya, announced that Koca was being treated in hospital under the supervision of security forces, with detention procedures to follow.

Yerlikaya later added: ‘I strongly condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler at the end of the MKE Ankaragucu-Çaykur Rizespor match. 

‘Such incidents are unacceptable on our green fields, which are the ground of peace and friendship. We are following this sad event. I offer my best wishes to our referee Halil Umut Meler, who successfully represents Turkish refereeing abroad.’

A group of players, officials and security guards formed a protective huddle around Meler, who could be seen sporting a swollen eye in the moments shortly after the shocking attack

Meler’s face was seen swollen after the attack on Monday

Ankaragucu, meanwhile, has issued an apology to football fans for what it called the ‘sad incident’ that unfolded after the match.

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In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the club said: ‘As MKE Ankaragucu Sports Club, we are saddened by the incident that took place this evening. 

‘We apologise to the Turkish football public and the entire sports community for the sad incident that occurred after the Çaykur Rizespor match at Eryaman Stadium.’ 

In its own statement, Rizespor used stronger language, calling for ‘no violence in sports’. The team said: ‘We strongly condemn the undesirable events that occurred after the Ankaragucu match we played today. 

‘We convey our wishes to the entire referee community, especially the referee of the match, Halil Umut Meler, to get well soon.’

Olimpiu Morutan opened the scoring in the 14th minute before drama struck, with hosts Ankaragucu reduced to 10 men after Ali Sowe’s second-half dismissal.

Emirhan Topcu was also sent off for Rizespor in the 95th minute, though the visitors netted a last-gasp equaliser through Adolfo Gaich on the cusp of the final whistle.

The attack has been condemned by Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Askin Bak. 

Bak, posting on X, wrote: ‘I strongly condemn the attack on the referee of the match, Halil Umut Meler, at the end of the MKE Ankaragucu-Caykur Rizespor match.

‘We do not want to see these images on our fields, which do not suit the spirit of sports and Turkish football.’

Meler has been a Fifa referee since 2017, the AFP news agency reports. Officials in Turkey are often criticised by club managers and presidents for their decisions – but rarely are they on the receiving end of violence. 

Koca, 59, has been the president of Ankaragucu since 2021. He received the Fair Play manager of the month award in October 2022.

Fenerbahce and Turkey international footballer Umut Nayir has reacted to the unsightly scenes on his social media account.

Koca was visibly furious after the match and is set to be detained by police after treatment

The shocking incident was captured and broadcast live as fans tuned in to watch the face-off

‘A mentality that considers itself to be right no matter what is said or done to the referee has surrounded us,’ he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

‘You destroyed the most vulnerable factor in football with your pressure, day by day, together. You put the burden of your failures on them. Shame on you. 

‘I’m ashamed of the situation you’ve put us in.’

A FIFA referee since 2017, 37-year-old Meler took charge of Lazio’s Champions League group game with Celtic on November 28. 

Turkish football is known for its passion and occasional bursts of violence.

A Turkish court briefly arrested 19 people involved in a brawl that broke out during a second-division match in November of last year.

Second-division Bursaspor played seven matches earlier this year in an empty stadium following another incident during which fans chanted anti-Kurdish slogans.

Turkish clubs are followed by legions of fans who often align themselves with various social causes and become a part of the country’s political life.

Football supporters played an integral part in 2013 youth-driven protests that formed the first serious challenge to Erdogan’s socially conservative government.

The Ankara club and its president are linked closely to Erdogan’s ruling AKP party.

Koca told one reporter this year that he could consider running for mayor as the AKP candidate in a closely-watched municipal election scheduled for March 31.

Rizespor players leave the field after the incident. The club later posted on X, formerly Twitter

Halil Umut Meler (centre, November 28) is one of Europe’s top referees, and regularly officiates games in the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier football competition

Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game

‘If I am entrusted with the task of being the metropolitan municipality mayor, I will do what is necessary,’ Koca said.

Both Ankara and Istanbul are headed by popular opposition politicians who came to power in 2019.

Ankaragucu are in 11th place in the SuperLig after Monday’s draw.

Rizespor are four points above them in eighth place.

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