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A Turkish Super Lig clash between Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor was abandoned on Sunday after the visiting team walked off the pitch in protest of refereeing decisions.
The dramatic incident unfolded in the 30th minute after Adana Demirspor players exited the field following a controversial penalty call in favor of Galatasaray. The home side had taken a 1-0 lead through a penalty converted by new signing Alvaro Morata in the 12th minute. The decision to award the spot-kick was met with criticism, including from Galatasaray’s own head coach, Okan Buruk, who admitted the call was questionable.
“If a mistake was made, it will be reviewed,” Buruk stated post-match. “In my opinion, it was closer to not being a penalty. But this is not the first time Adana Demirspor has been on the receiving end of such decisions.”
The penalty was awarded after Dries Mertens appeared to be tripped, though replays suggested the Belgian forward had exaggerated the contact. Despite the incident being reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the decision stood, leading to mounting frustration from Adana Demirspor.
Tensions boiled over as Adana Demirspor’s head coach, Mustafa Alper Avcı, called his players to the sideline for a brief discussion before instructing them to leave the pitch. The referee soon followed, and the match was officially suspended. Fans inside the stadium jeered as the visitors departed.
Club vice president Metin Korkmaz clarified that the walkout was a protest against the refereeing board rather than Galatasaray. He cited club president Murat Sancak, who had expressed concerns about officiating before the match.
“This decision was made by our president,” Korkmaz confirmed. “It was not about Galatasaray but about a wider issue with refereeing standards in Turkey.”
Sancak later defended his stance, emphasizing that Adana Demirspor had little chance of winning given the circumstances. “We were 99% going to lose today anyway,” he admitted, reiterating that the protest was aimed at broader concerns within Turkish football officiating.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) will determine the official outcome of the match, though Galatasaray’s website suggested their team would be awarded a default victory.
“This is a serious blow to Turkish football,” Buruk lamented. “Such incidents damage the league’s reputation and invite unnecessary controversy.”
The walkout reignited debates over refereeing integrity in the Super Lig. The league has faced ongoing scrutiny over officiating standards, with accusations of bias and inconsistencies leading to the introduction of foreign referees in VAR roles.
Tensions between Turkish football’s biggest clubs also flared up, with Galatasaray’s fierce rivals, Fenerbahce, taking to social media to criticize the situation.
“Thanks to you, there is no trust or justice left in Turkish football,” a post from Fenerbahce’s official account read. “Yet, you always play the victim!”
Galatasaray vice president Metin Ozturk pushed back against the criticism, suggesting that officiating controversies are part of the game.
“If teams walked off the pitch every time they disagreed with a decision, the league would be over in four weeks,” he remarked.
The incident echoed a similar protest last season when Istanbulspor abandoned their match against Trabzonspor in response to refereeing decisions. Turkish football has also witnessed instances of extreme reactions, including an incident last year when a referee was physically assaulted by a club president following a match.
Sancak, responding to claims that Fenerbahce president Ali Koc had influenced Adana Demirspor’s decision to leave the field, dismissed the allegations outright.
“Neither Ali Koc nor the richest man in Turkey can buy me,” he said defiantly during a televised interview.
As Turkish football authorities prepare to review the match outcome, the controversy has reignited calls for major reforms in refereeing standards and league governance.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono, Unsplash / Ahmet Kurt
