FOOTBALL – 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 described as “some problems” in the event’s organisation.
Saudi state TV cited a statement by organisers the Riyadh Season saying the cancellation of the final was the result of the teams not adhering to match regulations.
“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 (Football) Federation in the framework of the preparatory meetings for the match,” the statement said.
“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,” it added.
The scheduled final coincides with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic. There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials.
“The 2023 Super Cup ... has been postponed to a later date as a result of a joint decision we made with our clubs, due to some problems in its organisation,” the two teams and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on social media platform X.
It was not clear where or when the final would be staged. The joint statement thanked Saudi Arabia’s football federation and authorities for efforts they made to organise the event.
The cancellation of the final added to what has been a controversy-filled month for Turkish soccer.
The president of top-tier club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on December 12 for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match. The TFF imposed a permanent ban on Koca 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 in a Super Lig game against Trabzonspor. The game was then abandoned.
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