Enlarge image
Fenerbahçe players leave the pitch
Photo: EPA
The game for the Turkish Super Cup between the two traditional Istanbul clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe ended with a scandal and was canceled after less than a minute of net playing time.
50 seconds after kick-off at the stadium in Sanliurfa, Argentine Mauro Icardi scored 1-0 for champions Galatasaray on Sunday. When the referee wanted to start the game again, the U19 players that cup winners Fenerbahçe had called up for the match left the pitch as a unit.
Boos and whistles could be heard from the stands. It was the next low point in the dispute between Fenerbahçe, who are second only two points behind Galatasaray in the current championship, and the Turkish association.
Dispute with the association
Fenerbahçe vice-president Erol Bilecik had already made it clear before the Supercup that the professional team would prepare for the quarter-finals in the Europa Conference League on Thursday at Olympiakos Piraeus and would play the U19s instead.
The game was originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia at the end of December last year. Shortly before kick-off in Riyadh it was canceled. Both clubs are said to have refused to compete at the time.
The new date was not well received by Fenerbahçe because of the Conference League. The club is also at odds with the association and was already considering leaving the Turkish Süper Lig after the fan attacks in the game against Trabzonspor.
League exit possible
A decision on this should be made at a general meeting of the association. Trabzonspor supporters stormed the pitch during a game in mid-March after the 2-3 win against Fenerbahçe Istanbul and attacked the opponent's players and coaches.
The reason for a possible exit from the Turkish league is not only these riots, but also a number of other unfortunate conditions in the league that have been patiently endured for a long time, said club president Ali Koc recently.
bka/dpa