‘T-shirt row’ causes Saudi Arabia-based Turkish Super Cup final to be postponed
The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Friday was postponed over what the clubs have described as “some problems” in the event’s organisation.
At the heart of those issues, according to media reports, was the wish of the two teams to wear T-shirts featuring the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during the warm-up before the evening kick-off.
Saudi state TV added that the problems stemmed from the teams not adhering to match regulations. A statement from organisers said: “We were looking forward to holding the match on time in accordance with the international soccer rules and regulations that require the sport to be presented without any slogans outside its scope, especially since this was discussed with the Turkish federation in the framework of the preparatory meetings for the match.
“Despite this agreement, it was unfortunate that the two teams did not adhere to what had been agreed upon, which led to the match not being held.”
Quick Guide
How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
Show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ‘The Guardian’.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
The incident came amid a recent warming of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visited Saudi Arabia in July amid efforts to repair diplomatic ties following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
The cancellation of the final added to what has been a controversy-filled month for Turkish football. The president of top-tier club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on 12 December for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match. The TFF imposed a permanent ban on Koca, who has since resigned, and also sanctioned Ankaragucu.
The Turkish league was temporarily suspended due to the violence and when it resumed Istanbulspor walked off the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision during a Super Lig game against Trabzonspor. The game was then abandoned.
