Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler was punched right in his face by Faruk Koca, the president of MKE Ankaragucu in a Super Lig match on Monday night.
The incident happened after Ankaragucu conceded a goal late in the match, ending the match with a 1-1 tie with Caykur Rizespor.
Following the incident, Turkish FA chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi held a press conference saying that all matches in every league in the country will be postponed indefinitely. Buyukeksi also stated that the incident is a “night of shame” in Turkish football.
The unfortunate incident also received backlashes from some very influential people inside and outside of football.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino labeled the incident as “totally unacceptable’ while Turkiye president Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke out and said that it was “inhumane and despicable attack.”
The Turkish Super Lig Professional Football Clubs Foundation also condemned the attack while top flight clubs in Turkey said that they are ready to take all steps to prevent violent incidents from happening in the future.
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