After brutal attack on referee: Ex-club boss behind bars!

Ankara (Turkey) - The former boss of the Turkish club Ankaragücü has been sentenced for his brutal attack on a referee last December.

First punches and then kicks against a referee lying on the ground: the incident in December 2023 outraged the sporting world. Now Faruk Koca (60) has been sentenced.
First punches and then kicks against a referee lying on the ground: the incident in December 2023 outraged the sporting world. Now Faruk Koca (60) has been sentenced.  © Abdurrahman Antakyali/Depo Photos/AP/dpa

The court imposed a prison sentence of three years and seven months on Faruk Koca (60) for intentional bodily harm, the state news agency Anadolu reported.

He was also given a six-month prison sentence for threatening behavior and a further five-month suspended prison sentence. Prison sentences were also imposed on three other people involved.

At the beginning of December 2023, violent scenes broke out after a match between MKE Ankaragücü and Çaykur Rizespor.

Ankaragücü president Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face with his fist after the final whistle, as can be seen on video. Meler then went to the ground and others involved then kicked him. Rizespor had scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to make it 1-1.

As a result, theTurkish Football Association suspended the league and Koca was banned for life. He also resigned from his position as club boss. Numerous athletes and politicians beyond Turkey condemned the scenes.