In mid-March, Trabzonspor fans attacked players from rivals Fenerbahçe on the pitch. (IMAGO / ABACAPRESS / IMAGO / Depo Photos / ABACA)
A masked football fan storms onto the pitch with a knife in his hand. He is said to be a supporter of the Turkish club Trabzonspor. The team is in third place in the Süper Lig and has just lost to second-placed Fenerbahçe Istanbul. When security forces stop the man, chaos breaks out: more and more Trabzonspor supporters storm the pitch and a wild fight breaks out.
Fenerbahçe striker Michy Batshuayi, formerly under contract with Borussia Dortmund, kicks an opposing fan in the chest, a student’s cello flies from the Trabzonspor stands into the brawl, a Fenerbahce fan arms himself with a corner flag. And a Fenerbahçe player kicks the man with the knife – after security forces take him to the ground.
Riots happen – but not like this
Trabzonspor President Ertugrul Dogan was annoyed about this after the encounter: “It has often happened that fans enter the pitch, light fires in stadiums or destroy police cars. But this is a novelty: a fan is stopped by security forces and still attacked! Hitting a person on the head while lying on the ground is neither honorable nor manly. Trabzonspor will never forget this.”
Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe have been deeply hostile for years. The Turkish Football Association promised harsh punishments – little has happened so far, almost two weeks later. Observers suspect that the association wants to wait for the local elections on Sunday. Football is highly political in Turkey. Dissatisfaction with possible punishments or pardons can influence fans’ voting behavior.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce club boss Ali Koc announced a radical step: On Tuesday, an extraordinary general meeting of the club will vote on Fenerbahçe’s withdrawal from the Süper Lig: “We will no longer accept this treatment in our own country. There is no place for Fener in this league. If necessary, we will be relegated to a lower league. We would rather die once than die every day.”
Football is an economic factor
Since this threat, the Turkish football world has been in turmoil. The former president of Trabzonspor accused Fenerbahce of blackmail in order to protect their own players from disciplinary proceedings and sanctions. Other observers suggest that Fenerbahce wants to put pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. The football club is listed on the stock exchange. A withdrawal from the Süper Lig could have a negative impact on the already struggling economy. Private investors in particular would be affected.
Leaving the league would also be expensive for Fenerbahce, said renowned sports commentator Ercan Taner in a television interview earlier this week: “The club has debts of around 34,434,000 euros. If he retires, revenue will decrease. And what about the contracts of foreign players and sponsors? Some of them will demand severance payments and terminate their contracts.”
Can Fenerbahçe even afford to leave the league? What will happen to the fans, where should the players go, what will happen to the Süper Lig and the Turkish Football Association? Or are the blue and yellow from Istanbul just bluffing? Club boss Ali Koc said in a written statement on Wednesday: “Either we relegate a league, or we stop football activities for a while, or we buy a team abroad. This should be voted on. But I guarantee: We won’t act as if nothing happened.”