Turkish Football To Resume On December 19 After Attack On Referee
League matches in the Turkish top flight will resume on Tuesday, December 19 following a brief suspension for an attack on a referee on Monday.
The end of the league match between Ankaragucu and Rizespor was mired in chaos when the home side's president Faruk Koca stormed the pitch and slammed referee Halil Umut Meler to the ground with a vicious blow to the face.
The game ended 1-1 with Rizespor grabbing a late equaliser in second half stoppage time after both teams had a man sent off.
On Tuesday, Turkish football authorities put the league on an enforced break to deal with the situation, with an announcement of any punishment to be meted out expected on Thursday.
Referee Meler has since been discharged from hospital with a swollen eye.
Turkish Football Federation president Mehmet Buyukeksi has now announced that the league will resume next week.
"We had decided to postpone the matches in all leagues indefinitely. With the decision we took today, all leagues will restart on Tuesday, December 19," Buyukeksi told reporters.
"We will never allow attacks or disproportinate pressure on our referees. This incident needs to become a milestone, a turning point for Turkish football."
