Turkish football bosses suspended all leagues after a referee was punched to the ground by a club president following a top-flight game on Monday.
Halil Umut Meler was struck by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, who ran onto the pitch after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 Super Lig draw with Caykur Rizespor. “The matches in all leagues have been postponed indefinitely,” Turkish FA [TFF] chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi told a news conference, adding: “This attack is a night of shame for Turkish football.”
Meler received several blows from others as he lay on the turf and suffered injuries including a minor fracture. The incident sparked chaotic scenes involving players and club officials. Koca required treatment in a hospital but “detention procedures will be carried out after the treatment”, said Turkey’s minister of internal affairs, Ali Yerlikaya.
Yerlikaya added others had been arrested for their part in the incident, which he “strongly condemned”. Meler, 37, is one of Turkey’s top referees and officiates international games for Fifa. He is also on Uefa’s elite referee list.