A Turkish referee who was punched by a club chairman and then kicked to the ground in the head has been released from hospital.
Turkish football descended into chaos – on an evening labeled by the national media as a 'night of shame' – when MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca launched the vicious attack on referee Halil Umut Meler on Monday after his side drew 1-1 played against Caykur Rizespor in the match. Super Lig.
Meler was pictured battered and bruised in hospital on Tuesday and wearing a neck brace, but after a series of additional tests he was discharged on Wednesday morning.
Photos showed Meler waving to a crowd gathered outside the hospital entrance, while he still had a black eye on his left side.
After Meler's discharge, the head doctor of the hospital in Ankara had a farewell message: 'He is in good spirits. He will be in control wherever he goes (continued). He has no problems with it, apart from a small swelling under his eye.
'As a precaution, we put on a neck brace. The (cheek) fracture will heal over time, it was a minor fracture anyway. There is no more bleeding.'
Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler was released from hospital in Ankara on Wednesday morning
The match official was left with a shiny black eye after the vicious attack on Monday evening
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the stricken referee in the hospital on Tuesday
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Turkey has been completely rocked by the incident, with the competition suspended for a week.
Shocking footage of the sucker-punch on the pitch showed President Koca's fist making contact with Meler's cheek below his left eye, sending the referee to the ground. Others then tackled him with a series of kicks as he curled up in the grass that covered his face.
Fans also entered the field after Rizespor scored an equalizer seven minutes into eight minutes of stoppage time, prompting police to escort the referee to safety.
Nihat Uludag, director of CNN Türk Istanbul News, spoke on air about how two of those arrested for kicking the referee in the head gained access to the match through VIP tickets. Both fans are said to be 'known' to the club as they are now the subject of police investigation.
Despite being on the receiving end of the attack, Turkish media reported that Meler told police, “Thank you, it's my fault” as he left.
It was not immediately clear whether Meler apologized for the long stoppage time or for sending off two players. The match featured eight minutes of stoppage time and a red card for each team, with Rizespor defender Emirhan Topçu being sent off in the 95th minute, two minutes before the equalizer.
It is understood the referee suffered a fractured cheek, while Koca – who is said to have heart problems – was hospitalized as a precaution but would later be taken into custody after treatment, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
The Turkish Football Association quickly announced it would suspend all league matches indefinitely after an emergency meeting to discuss the violence.
“This attack is unfortunate and shameful in the name of football,” federation chief Mehmet Buyukeksi said after the meeting.
“We say enough is enough,” he added, urging that all those involved in the violence be punished.
The moment when the fist of Faruk Koca, chairman of a top football club, makes contact with the face of referee Halil Umut Meler on Monday evening after a match in the Turkish Super Lig
MKE Ankaragucu president launched the vicious attack (pictured) on referee Meler after his side drew 1-1 against Caykur Rizespor in the Super Lig
Horrible scenes began when Ankaragucu's president punched the referee in the face
Buyukeksi also blamed the attack on a culture of contempt towards referees in Turkey.
“Anyone who targeted referees and encouraged them to commit crimes is complicit in this despicable attack,” he said.
“The irresponsible statements made by club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators against referees have paved the way for this attack.”
Turkish President Erdogan also condemned the attack.
'Sport means peace and brotherhood. The sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports,” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the events that took place after the match were “totally unacceptable and have no place in our sport or society.”
“Without match officials there is no football,” he added. “Referees, players, fans and staff must be safe to enjoy the game, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure this is strictly implemented and respected at all levels.”
Galatasaray president Dursun Aydın Ozbek said on Tuesday: 'Such things (such as the attack on the referee) should not happen.
“These incidents, which mainly damage the brand value of Turkish football and the image of Turkish football abroad, cause great damage to football.
The match official was sent to the ground after the blow and suffered a black eye
Meler tried to protect his face after the blow as other people kicked him to the ground
A group of players, officials and security guards formed a protective group around Meler, who was seen with a swollen eye shortly after the shocking attack.
Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game
'I was shocked. Why did the president and his friends attack a referee like that? Why do they kick the referee to the ground? It is not possible to understand it.
'In the following period, the competitions have been suspended, but the Turkish Football Federation, the Union of Clubs and all clubs will come together and we will do our best to put an end to this one way or another and prevent these incidents from happening will develop in the next period. .'
The unsavory scenes were captured by photographers from multiple angles and during the live broadcast of the Turkish Super Lig match, the top tier of Turkish football.
The match ended 1–1 after Rizespor scored the final equalizer against Ankaragucu, who were on the verge of winning the match with an early opening goal.
However, the goal in the 97th minute of the 98-minute match ended the match in a draw – just before the shocking turn of events.