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Referee says he won’t forgive Turkish club chief for attack

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Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler leaves from a hospital in Ankara, Turkey December 13, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Referee Halil Umut Meler said he will not forgive Turkish club Ankaragucu’s president Faruk Koca for punching him in the face at the end of a Super Lig match last week.

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Soccer Football – Super Lig – MKE Ankaragucu v Caykur Rizespor – Eryaman Stadium – Ankara, Turkey – December 11, 2023 – MKE Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca reacts as he leaves the field after the team’s Super Lig home match against Caykur Rizespor. REUTERS/Abdurrahman Antakyali/Depo Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

 

The Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) disciplinary board imposed a permanent ban on Koca, who entered the field and hit Meler when the final whistle blew after Rizespor scored a 97th-minute equaliser at Ankaragucu’s Eryaman Stadium.

Meler was then kicked in the head as he lay on the pitch.

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Koca was arrested a day after the incident, with Meler telling police that the official had threatened to kill him.

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Soccer Football – Super Lig – MKE Ankaragucu v Caykur Rizespor – Eryaman Stadium – Ankara, Turkey – December 11, 2023 MKE Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca reacts as the referee Halil Umut Meler lies on the ground at the end of their Super Lig home match against Caykur Rizespor REUTERS/Abdurrahman… Acquire Licensing Rights

“No, I did not forgive (Koca), I will not forgive,” Meler told Turkish news daily Hurriyet.

“The person who did this punched me, I collapsed and fell to the ground. But the actual kicking while I was on the ground will be something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

“That’s why, in conscience, I will never forgive. I will not forgive in any way, I will never forgive those who did it or those who provoked it.”

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Turkey’s top soccer league resumed play on Tuesday following a one-week suspension

-Reuters

 

 

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Tall Paul towers back to Trabzon as Super Lig side sign Onuachu for keeps

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 Southampton v Crystal Palace - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 2, 2025 Southampton's Paul Onuachu scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

Paul Onuachu is back where the goals flowed after the Nigerian striker completed a 5.6 million euros ($6.60 million) move to Trabzonspor from Southampton on Friday, turning a successful loan spell into a permanent stay on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.

Nicknamed “Tall Paul” by Saints fans, the 2.01-metre forward never found his stride in the Premier League, scoring just four goals as Southampton dropped out of the top flight.

But in Turkey, he looked like his old self — hitting 15 goals in 21 league games while on loan last season and quickly winning over the fans and board alike.

Once prolific at Genk, with 73 goals in 103 league games, 31-year-old Onuachu’s return to Trabzonspor feels more like a reset than a gamble.

The new Super Lig season kicks off on August 8, with champions Galatasaray defending their crown. Trabzonspor, who finished seventh last term, will hope their returning striker picks up right where he left off.

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-Reuters

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Tragedy Mars Algerian MC Alger Title Celebration

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A celebration turned tragic on Saturday, June 22, 2025, when three spectators lost their lives and more than 70 others sustained injuries following a fence collapse at the July 5 Stadium in Algiers. The incident occurred after MC Alger clinched the Algerian top-flight football title for the second consecutive season.

According to a statement released on Facebook by the Algerian Ministry of Health, the collapse took place in the stadium’s south bend upper stand. Emergency services responded swiftly, with 38 injured fans taken to Beni Messous University Hospital, 27 to Ben Aknoun Hospital, and 16 to Bab El Oued Hospital.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences to the victims’ families and extended wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.

MC Alger also mourned the loss of one of their fans. “It is with great sadness and sorrow that we received the news of our supporter Younes Amguzzi, who passed away after falling from the upper stands,” the club said in a statement posted on Instagram.

The club has not yet issued a formal comment on the additional reported fatalities.

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Local media attributed the tragedy to a structural failure, reporting that part of the upper-tier fencing gave way, causing fans to fall into the lower stands. A video posted by El Heddaf TV showed the damaged railing and the chaotic aftermath.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while MC Alger players, staff, and club officials visited to donate blood in support of the victims. The trophy presentation ceremony was postponed out of respect for the incident.

Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the cause of the collapse and the safety standards at the stadium.

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Libya Again! From Free-Kick to Firefight: Libyan Derby Turns Into a War Zone

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The bus of the Libyan club Al-Ittihad was set on fire after the Tripoli derby against Al Ahli on Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Libyan football is once again under fire after a highly anticipated derby match between Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad spiralled into chaos on Wednesday evening, forcing an early end to the game and leaving a trail of violence and destruction in its wake.

What was meant to be a showcase of local rivalry quickly turned into a disaster.

The match, part of Libya’s national championship, took a dark turn in the 38th minute when Moroccan midfielder Nawfel Zerhouni curled in a beautiful free-kick to give Al-Ittihad the lead. But the celebrations were short-lived. Tensions flared, players clashed, and a full-blown melee broke out on the pitch.

Things only got worse from there.

Despite being officially designated a behind-closed-doors fixture, fans from both clubs found their way into the stadium and took over the stands. Fights erupted, and the terraces turned into battlegrounds. The referee had no choice but to abandon the match.

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The violence didn’t stop at the stadium gates.

Reports suggest that live ammunition was fired at Al-Ahli supporters, and the Al-Ittihad team bus was set ablaze in the aftermath. Shocking scenes like these are a grim reminder of how unchecked football passion can spiral into outright mayhem.

Both clubs reacted swiftly with official statements condemning the violence. Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad called for calm and restraint, stressing the importance of upholding the values of sport. They also urged authorities to launch a full investigation to uncover those behind the violence and ensure accountability.

This disturbing episode comes on the heels of previous controversies involving Libya’s football scene, including the troubled AFCON qualifier against Nigeria and riots during the Libya–Benin Republic match. It raises fresh concerns over the safety and stability of football in the country.

Libyan football is at a crossroads. Whether this serves as a wake-up call or just another chapter in a worrying trend remains to be seen.

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