All football in Turkey suspended indefinitely

https://news.sky.com/story/super-lig-professional-football-in-turkey-suspended-indefinitely-after-club-president-punches-referee-13028430

This could be interesting. With all football suspended and no games for players to play. I wonder whether this encourage some of our targets to join the championship.

Hopefully this could make it easier for basaketas to join us.

No point staying with his present club if they are not playing

Quite a drastic move by the Turkish FA but understandable. As much as some of us don't like referees there is absolutely no need to attack one, quite disgusting if you ask me. Referees are part of the game and without them well we just would not have a game to watch.

The man crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed.The idea of making it easier to get players from there will have occured to every club in the land.It will have also occured to the Turkish authorities that any protracted cessation could wreck their league.

It will be interesting to see what punishment is given out for this by the relevant authorities and bodies. If this occured in the UK and was fan FRV you would be looking at jail time for sure, I've seen it given for far less. I've no idea how this works in Turkey of course but if Erdogan and FIFA are involved plus all football is suspended you'd imagine it's going to be treated seriously and may indicate deeper and long standing issues, as their fans seem to be able to get away with anything, whereas British fans are dealt with very heavily compared to Europe and the ROTW. I also think this may influence how refs are sometimes surrounded in the game by players and officials, I think we have stronger rules here but I bet it gets toughed up.

The fat melt in the green coat kicking the ref whilst he's covered up on the ground looks like a coward too, couldn't punch through a wet paper bag but one of those that likes to kick someone on the ground when they know they won't get hit back.

It will be interesting to see what punishment is given out for this by the relevant authorities and bodies. If this occured in the UK and was fan FRV you would be looking at jail time for sure, I've seen it given for far less. I've no idea how this works in Turkey of course but if Erdogan and FIFA are involved plus all football is suspended you'd imagine it's going to be treated seriously and may indicate deeper and long standing issues, as their fans seem to be able to get away with anything, whereas British fans are dealt with very heavily compared to Europe and the ROTW. I also think this may influence how refs are sometimes surrounded in the game by players and officials, I think we have stronger rules here but I bet it gets toughed up.

The fat melt in the green coat kicking the ref whilst he's covered up on the ground looks like a coward too, couldn't punch through a wet paper bag but one of those that likes to kick someone on the ground when they know they won't get hit back.

I can see that President and a couple of others serving time for this.

I would imagine they would get a life's ban from any involvement in the game too.

Anyone see that former Cardiff City player Federico Macheda was playing for them! (Number 32)

Cowardly and completely unwarranted attack on the official

We all get angry and annoyed at refs (Bob Maddeley and that useless woman we had a few weeks ago) to name just two, but those guys overstepped the mark by a mile

It will be a travesty if at least 2 or 3 people are not jailed for this

It will be interesting to see what punishment is given out for this by the relevant authorities and bodies. If this occured in the UK and was fan FRV you would be looking at jail time for sure, I've seen it given for far less. I've no idea how this works in Turkey of course but if Erdogan and FIFA are involved plus all football is suspended you'd imagine it's going to be treated seriously and may indicate deeper and long standing issues, as their fans seem to be able to get away with anything, whereas British fans are dealt with very heavily compared to Europe and the ROTW. I also think this may influence how refs are sometimes surrounded in the game by players and officials, I think we have stronger rules here but I bet it gets toughed up.

The fat melt in the green coat kicking the ref whilst he's covered up on the ground looks like a coward too, couldn't punch through a wet paper bag but one of those that likes to kick someone on the ground when they know they won't get hit back.

I can see that President and a couple of others serving time for this.

I would imagine they would get a life's ban from any involvement in the game too.

The red flag is the blanket ban on all football, it really is an odd thing to do and I don't recollect ever hearing of such a measure before. Very odd.

Strange that all the teams & fans have to pay for the stupidity of a few.

A Turkish football club president has been arrested after punching a referee following a top-flight match on Monday.

MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca ran onto the pitch and struck match official Halil Umut Meler after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Koca and two others were formally arrested for "injuring a public official".

All Turkish league football has been suspended.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the incident was "totally unacceptable" and violence had "no place in our sport or society".

"Without match officials there is no football," he said. "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."

Tunc said Koca and two others had been arrested after prosecutors took statements and a judicial control decision had been imposed on three other suspects.

"The investigation is continuing meticulously," he added.

Koca later issued a statement via Ankaragucu saying he had resigned as club president and apologising for his actions.

"No matter how great an injustice or how wrong [the officiating] was, nothing can legitimise or explain the violence that I perpetrated," he said.

"I apologise to the Turkish refereeing community, the sports public and our nation."

He added he felt "great embarrassment" for the "grave incident that I caused" but hoped it could help Turkish football address its "culture of violence".

Strange that all the teams & fans have to pay for the stupidity of a few.

All the fans and all the teams need to get the message,not just in Turkey either. When club officials descend into this kind of behaviour a strong message needs to be delivered.