The former president of the Ankaragucu football club, Faruk Koca, has been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.
This sentence comes after Koca assaulted referee Halil Umut Meler during a Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor in December 2023.
The incident unfolded following a tense moment when Ankaragucu conceded a 97th-minute equalizer, prompting Koca and three others to storm the pitch and physically attack the referee.
The assault left Mr. Meler with a fractured eye socket and other injuries, necessitating medical treatment. In response to this violent act, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) took the significant step of suspending league matches for a week and imposed a lifetime ban on Koca from participating in football activities.
Despite the court's ruling, the decision has not gone unchallenged. Ankaragucu chairman Ismail Mert Firat publicly criticized the verdict, stating, "No disgrace crime had been committed," and described the sentence as impossible to interpret with good intentions.
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