Referee Hospitalized After Being Punched And Kicked In Head On "Night Of Shame For Turkish Football"

Faruk Koca, the president of Turkish Super Lig club MKE Ankaragucu, ran onto the field and punched referee Halil Umut Meler after a Turkish Super Lig game.
Referee Hospitalized After Being Punched And Kicked In Head On "Night Of Shame For Turkish Football"
Referee Hospitalized After Being Punched And Kicked In Head On "Night Of Shame For Turkish Football" /

The president of Turkish Super Lig club MKE Ankaragucu ran onto the field and punched the referee following a game against Caykur Rizespor on Monday.

Faruk Koca forcefully struck referee Halil Umut Meler in the face with his clenched right fist, knocking the official to the ground.

While he was on the floor, another man kicked Meler in the head before he was able to get to his feet.

Meler - who is one of Turkey's top officials and is on UEFA's elite referee list - was pictured with a black eye moments after the assault.

He was later taken to hospital, where he was kept overnight.

Referee Halil Umut Meler pictured lying on the ground after being punched in the face by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca (center) following a game in the Turkish Super Lig in December 2023
Referee Halil Umut Meler pictured lying on the ground after being punched in the face by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca (center) following a game in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday :: IMAGO/Depo Photos/Abdurrahman Antakyali
Referee Halil Umut Meler pictured being kicked in the head following a game between MKE Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in the Turkish Super Lig in December 2023
The referee was kicked in the head by another man while he was on the ground :: IMAGO/Depo Photos/Abdurrahman Antakyali

Dr Mehmet Yorubulut, the chief physician of the hospital, said on Monday night: "There is no life threat for the moment. He only has bleeding around his left eye and a small fracture.

"We will [monitor] our referee until the morning due to head trauma. We will discharge him from hospital after the necessary examinations in the morning."

The shocking attacks on Meler came after Rizespor had scored a 97th-minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Ankaragucu's Eryaman Stadium.

Turkish Football Federation chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi told a news conference on Monday evening that all league matches in the country would be "postponed indefinitely" and said it had been "a night of shame for Turkish football".

Buyukeksi added: "Football matches are not a war, there is no death at the end. Not all teams can become champions at the same time. We all need to understand this. We invite everyone to take responsibility.

"[Ankaragucu] and its managers will be punished most severely."

Mehmet Buyukeksi, president of the Turkish Football Federation, pictured at the 2023 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul
Mehmet Buyukeksi, president of the Turkish Football Federation, suspended all league matches in the country following Monday's shocking attack :: IMAGO/Nicolo Campo

The country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also commented. He said: "I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after the MKE Ankaragucu-Caykur Rizespor match played this evening, and I wish him a speedy recovery.

"Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports."

A club statement issued by MKE Ankaragucu read: "We are saddened by the incident that took place this evening.

"We apologize to the Turkish football public and the entire sports community for the sad incident that occurred after the Caykur Rizespor match at Eryaman Stadium."


Published
Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.