Club president arrested as ref attack rocks Turkish league
ANKARA — The president of toptier Turkish soccer club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on Tuesday for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match, with the official telling police that Koca had threatened to kill him.
The arrest followed an outbreak of violence during Super Lig club Ankaragucu's home match against Rizespor on Monday evening.
Referee Halil Umut Meler, who was also kicked while lying on the pitch, said that Koca had also threatened him and his colleagues, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
"Faruk Koca punched me under my left eye; I fell to the ground. While I was on the ground, other people kicked me in the face and other parts of my body many times," he said.
"Koca said to me and my colleagues, 'I will finish you'. Addressing me, he said, 'I will kill you'."
The Turkish court which made the arrest ruling also remanded in custody two other suspects over the incident.
"This incident developed due to the wrong decisions and provocative behavior of the referee. My aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face," Koca told the court, according to Demiroren News Agency.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said it had suspended all leagues after the "shameful" incident in Ankara.
Most Popular
- Goalkeeper Benitez set for Argentina debut against Costa Rica
- Top seed Swiatek exits Miami with Gauff after upsets
- Red Bull's blunder Down Under gives Ferrari fresh hope
- Yuan enjoys an upswing in fortunes
- Primed for high-stakes Tianjin test
- Triumphant finish: Douglas's Wuxi Marathon adventure