December 19, (THEWILL) – Turkish football was witness to another controversial episode just a week after the league was suspended due to an assault on a referee. On Tuesday, a match between Istanbulspor and Trabzonspor was abandoned in the 73rd minute amid controversial scenes.
The match exploded into life when Paul Onuachu headed Trabzonspor into a 2-1 lead. However, Istanbulspor’s management believed Onuachu’s goal should have been disallowed for an earlier foul in the build-up. They demanded that their players leave the pitch in protest at the referee’s decision to allow the goal.
Despite desperate pleas from Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan and Istanbulspor’s own player Simon Deli, Istanbulspor President Ecmel Faik Sarıalioğlu refused to back down. With no sign of the match restarting, both sets of players ultimately walked off in the 73rd minute and the game was abandoned.
The aftermath of the contentious scenes remains unclear. An investigation into the events by the Turkish football authorities is likely.
The dramatic abandonment continues a troubling period for Turkish football. More chaos and controversy will do little to enhance the reputation of the league during a sensitive period. Urgent action may be required to prevent further disruptive episodes.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
