Turkey to resume soccer league games as battered referee leaves hospital
Turkey’s soccer federation announced it will resume games after suspending them over an attack on a referee.
ANKARA — Turkey’s Football Federation announced on Wednesday that soccer games would resume next week after all league games were suspended indefinitely over an attack on a referee.
The league games will resume next Tuesday, the federation’s head Mehmet Buyukeksi told journalists at a press conference in Istanbul.
A club president attacked referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch late Monday, after a game between MKE Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor that ended 1-1. One of the MKE Ankaragucu players was evicted from the game after two yellow cards.
After Meler blew the final whistle, MKE Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca ran to Meler and punched him in the face. As Meler fell to the ground trying to cover his face, some fans who took the pitch in the mayhem kicked the referee, who was honored with a fair play award last year.
