Turkish football witnessed yet another bout of turbulence as Galatasaray faced a dramatic exit from the Europa League on Thursday night.
In the aftermath of a 3-2 first-leg defeat, Sparta Prague orchestrated a remarkable comeback. They ended up winning a 4-1 home victory to advance 6-4 on aggregate. However, the win was overshadowed by a colossal brawl involving players and staff on the pitch.
The turning point of the clash occurred in the 68th minute when Kaan Ayhan received a red card, reducing Galatasaray to 10 men. Seizing the advantage, the Czech champions netted three goals.
This incident adds to the string of controversies plaguing Turkish football in recent times. In December, all Turkish football league matches were suspended for a week following a surprising attack on a referee.
During a Super Lig draw between MKE Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor, referee Halil Umut Meler faced a brutal assault. Meler was struck by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, resulting in a week-long suspension of professional football in Turkey.
Meler ended up lying on the field as he took many strikes from other people, which resulted in small fractures. Players and club officials were involved in tumultuous scenes after the event.
Faruk Koca resigned from his role and received a permanent ban from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in the aftermath of the incident.
As the week-long suspension concluded, Istanbulspor chairman Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu took center stage. In a controversial move, Sarialioglu seemingly instructed his team to stop playing.
Istanbulspor believed that his team should have been given a spot kick when Florian Loshaj fell, but Batista Mendy challenged him.
Shortly after, on loan Southampton striker Paul Onuachu gave Trabzonspor a 2-1 lead. The Istanbulspor players subsequently exited the field, and the 73rd minute saw the end of the game.
The incident was captured on social media, and it showed Sarialioglu ushering his players off the pitch.
