The final of the Turkish Super Cup has been postponed after the row in Riyadh

The much-anticipated final of the Turkish Super Cup, which was set to fire up Riyadh with the rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, faced an abrupt postponement due to a heated dispute over shirt symbols deemed “political slogans” by the Saudi organizers.

Originally scheduled to electrify the Saudi capital on Friday, the clash between the Turkish giants was abruptly called off, as announced by Saudi sports channel SSC, citing undisclosed “problems” in the organization of the event.

Turkish media reported that both Turkish teams intended to honor Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, by wearing jerseys with his image to commemorate the centenary celebration of the Republic of Turkey. However, the Saudi organizers rejected this gesture.

The stalemate escalated, forcing arch-rivals Istanbul and the Turkish Football Association to jointly decide to postpone the game, which was originally scheduled to be held at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh.

Saudi organizers, citing match regulations, pointed to the teams’ deviation from agreed rules on displaying slogans outside of football’s remit. Riyadh Season, the organizers of the event, expressed their disappointment at the teams’ non-compliance despite previous agreements during preparatory discussions with the Turkish Football Association.

While the canceled final coincided with the centenary of the Republic of Turkey, Saudi officials remained mum on the unfolding controversy.

The joint statement from Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and the Turkish Football Association highlighted the postponement as a result of organizational differences, leaving uncertainty over the future venue and date of the final. However, they expressed gratitude to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for its efforts despite the end of the conflict.

This controversy adds to a tumultuous month in Turkish football, marked by the arrest of Ankaragucu’s president for assaulting a referee and subsequent league suspensions. Istanbulspor’s recent walkout in protest during a Super Lig match against Trabzonspor further escalated the unrest, leading to the game being abandoned.