- Serhat Akin worked as an expert for Turkish television on Thursday
- He revealed on social media after the match that he had been shot in the foot
- Akin posted a graphic photo of himself lying with blood on his foot
A Turkish football expert was shot in the foot on Thursday evening after covering a Europa League match.
Former Turkey international Serhat Akin worked as a pundit for Fenerbahçe’s match against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in Istanbul.
Akin confirmed he was shot in the foot in a social media post after the match, while he has since been photographed at the hospital where he was reportedly scheduled to undergo surgery.
The 43-year-old in his photo published on social media was seen lying on the pavement, wearing shorts, with his right ankle visibly injured and covered in blood.
There was also a trail of blood on the ground next to him, as he captioned the photo on our last words are Fenerbahce.”
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT
Serhat Akin confirmed he was shot after working as an expert last night, posting this graphic photo of blood coming from his right foot, with a trail of blood on the floor next to him
Turkish politician Mustafa Sarigul visited the former footballer in the hospital on Friday
Reports claim an investigation has been launched into the shooting while a friend said Akin would undergo surgery
Turkish politician Mustafa Sarigul posted a video on his X account on Friday in which he speaks with Akin, who is seen in a hospital bed after a night.
The video was captioned: “Good luck to my brother Serhat Akin. No thought can be silenced with a gun.”
As reported by the SunThe incident took place in Istanbul’s Beykov area and was captured on local security footage, where a masked figure reportedly approached Akin.
It is said that one shot was fired at Akin, who quickly took cover behind a car, while the masked figure quickly crossed the street and was led away on a motorcycle.
Local police have launched an investigation into the shooting, while his friend – former Middlesbrough and Stoke striker Tuncay Sanli – said Akin would undergo surgery.
As reported by the Sun, Sanli said: ‘He is doing very well at the moment, his morale is low. There’s not much to say. He’s having surgery tomorrow.
‘I was with my brother because of the situation. He’s my brother, we’ve been through great things together. We have also experienced sadness.
‘I came to him as soon as I heard. There is nothing serious about his condition. He will probably have surgery tomorrow.
Akin played 16 games for Turkey and played for Cologne and Anderlecht, among others
Akin (right) played for Fenerbahce and is seen playing against Manchester United’s Gabriel Heinze in 2004
‘I am both sad and angry. His condition is currently very good. He is not in a good mood and his morale is low. I hope he gets healthy again as soon as possible.’
In an official statement, Fenerbahce wrote: “We condemn the armed attack on our former footballer Serhat Akin.
‘We wish him a speedy recovery. We expect the perpetrators to be brought to justice as soon as possible.’
The Turkish Football Association added: ‘We learned with regret that former national team player Serhat Akin was injured in the foot as a result of an armed attack.
“We strongly condemn the heinous attack and wish Serhat Akin a speedy recovery.”
Akin made sixteen appearances for the Turkish senior national team and played for clubs such as Fenerbahce and Anderlecht.
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce took a 2-1 win on the night, with ex-Leicester star Caglar Soyuncu among the goalscorers.