Turkish football club president Faruk Koca given lifetime ban

 December 14, 2023

Ex-Turkish club president Faruk Koca is handed a LIFETIME ban for hospitalising a referee in shocking on-pitch attack – with his old club having to play five games behind-closed-doors and given fine

  • The Turkish Football Federation have handed Faruk Koca a lifetime ban
  • It came after he attacked a referee in MKE Ankaragucu’s match against Rizespor
  • Have you witnessed abuse of referees? Contact [email protected] 

The disgraced former president of Turkish club Ankaragucu was handed a lifetime ban by Turkey’s football federation on Thursday after punching a referee following a game earlier this week.

The Turkish football federation’s disciplinary board has also ordered Ankaragucu to play five home matches behind closed doors and fined the club 60,000 euros ($66,000).

Club boss Faruk Koca rushed onto the pitch with a group of men following Ankaragucu’s draw with Caykur Rizespor on Monday, throwing a punch at referee Halil Umut Meler after he had blown the final whistle.

Koca, who was touted as a possible candidate for mayor of Ankara, subsequently resigned from his post, while all Turkish league matches were suspended until December 19.

Koca appeared to be incensed at Meler for sending off one of his players and then awarding a stoppage-time goal.

Former president of MKE Ankaragucu Faruk Koca has been handed a lifetime ban by the Turkish Football Federation

It came after he punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the head during his side’s game against Rizespor on monday

The match official was sent crashing to the ground after the punch and sustained a black eye

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Meler fell to the ground and was kicked several times in the ensuing melee.

“Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a social media statement on Monday.

According to Turkish press reports, Koca also resigned from Erdogan’s ruling AKP party.

Koca told one reporter earlier this year that he could consider running for Ankara mayor as the AKP candidate in a closely-watched municipal election scheduled for March 31.

Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game

Meler was released from Ankara hospital on Wednesday morning and spoke to reporters on his release telling them that he was okay despite sporting several bruises

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