In yet another shocking and controversial chapter in Turkish football, top-flight heavyweights Fenerbahce have announced they are considering withdrawing from the Super Lig after their players were attacked in Sunday's trip to Trabzonspor.
The Yellow Canaries, who are second in the table, visited Papara Park on Sunday and came away with a 3-2 victory thanks to a brace from Fred and an 87th-minute winner from Michy Batshuayi. However, violence sadly erupted following the final whistle as several Trabzonspor fans stormed the pitch to attack the away players.
The home supporters clashed with the traveling side and stewards in an incident that sparked worldwide condemnation, ranging from Fenerbahce head coach İsmail Kartal to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
"The violence witnessed after the Turkish Super Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce is absolutely unacceptable – on or off the field, it has no place in our sport or society," Infantino said in an official statement.
"All players have to be safe and secure to play the game which brings such joy to so many people all over the world. I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is respected at all levels and for the perpetrators of the shocking events in Trabzon to be held accountable for their actions."
Ismail Kartal, on the other hand, confessed his perplexity and pleaded for common sense to prevail, saying: "I don't understand why this place is so tense. Don't we have the right to celebrate? We need to overcome these things. We need to be tolerant towards each other and have common sense."
Fenerbahce's Board of Directors has since announced an Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting on April 2, with one of the key agendas being evaluating the actions taken in response to Sunday's controversy.
One step up for consideration is "the withdrawal of our football Team A from the Super Lig", the Istanbul-based club announced. If the Yellow Canaries take this drastic step, it would be a huge blow for beIN Sports, Super Lig's TV broadcast rights holder, and Turkish football as a whole.
Fenerbahce are the most successful team in the league, having won the league 28 times. With leaders Galatasaray sitting only two points ahead, Kartal's side are on the hunt for another title.
