The Turkish Super Cup final in Riyadh has been postponed

CONSTANTINOPLE:

The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled for Friday in the Saudi capital Riyadh was postponed due to what the clubs described as “some problems” in organizing the event. At the heart of these issues, according to media reports, was the desire of the two Istanbul teams to wear shirts featuring the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during the warm-up ahead of the evening kick-off.
Turkish media reported that Saudi officials had rejected that demand, although it was not clear why, and that the clubs had refused to play the Super Cup final at the home of King Saud University, which is also known as Al-Awwal Stadium Park. . Saudi state television cited a statement from Riyadh’s season organizers that the cancellation of the final was a result of the teams not following the rules of the match.
“We were looking forward to the match being played on time in accordance with international football rules and regulations which require the sport to be presented without slogans outside its field, especially as this was discussed with the Turkish (Football Federation) as part of the preparatory meetings for the match. “, the announcement states. “Despite this agreement, it was unfortunate that the two teams did not respect what was agreed upon, which led to the match not being held,” he added. The scheduled final coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the secular 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 organization,” the two teams and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said. X It was not clear where and when the final will be held. The joint statement thanked the football federation and the Saudi Arabian authorities for their efforts in organizing the event. There were also media reports that Turkey’s national anthem and flag would not be allowed in the final, but the TFF had earlier said they would be featured.
Turkey’s football teams received a warm welcome on their return to Istanbul after the Super Cup final was postponed, Turkish media reported on Saturday. Photos and videos showed hundreds of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce fans cheering loudly and waving Turkish flags, carrying pictures of modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen airports. The incident came amid a recent warming of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in July amid efforts to repair ties that had frayed after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018. The cancellation of the final added to a month of controversy for Turkish football. .
The president of top 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 Kotza and also sanctioned Ankaragutsou. The Turkish league was temporarily suspended due to the violence and when it resumed Istanbulspor walked off the pitch in protest at the referee’s decision in a Super Lig match against Trabzonspor. The game was then abandoned.