Fenerbache second 2024-25 Super Lig match against Goztepe was marred with violence with the club’s president Ali Koc attacked by a grim-looking pitch invader.
In the footage that we have shared in this report, the pitch invader could be seen storming his way into the field before pulling down Ali Koc and raining some punches on the football chief.
Fenerbache’s coaching crew and staff, taken unawares by the sudden assault, quickly intervened and stopped the aggressive assailant before Koc was escorted out of the field. Close sources claim the football chief was also struck by a missile thrown from the fans in the stands after the match.
After being rescued, Koc walked off the pitch unaided but was heavily guarded by security officials. The incident points yet again to a concerning trend of violence in Turkish football. Players, match officials, coaching crew, and fans attend match in the Turkish top flight with bated breaths.
Violent tradition in Turkish football
Frequent crowd trouble, assaults on match officials, clashes between rival fans, and attacks on players seem to have been the new norm in the Turkish top flight.
In 2013, the Istanbul derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray slipped into violence. Rioting fans vehemently fought each other leading to severe injuries to victims.
In 2022, Turkish football authorities slammed a lifetime ban on a fan after he threw a flare into the pitch, trying to take down a goalkeeper of the opponent’s team.
The most recent incident was in March 2024 in a five-goal thriller between Fenerbache and Trabzonspor. The match almost ended in a 2-2 draw before Michy Batshuayi scored a late winner for Fenerbache.
Batshuayi’s winner sparked riotous scenes as Trabzonspor fans invaded the pitch with weapons to attack the visiting players. It took a while before security operatives could restore calm as the clash spilled out of control with some Fenerbache players confronting the irate fans to defend themselves.
Following the latest incident, Turkish football authorities have swung into investigations. According to Turkish outlets, the yet-to-be-identified fan who assaulted Koc could face a lifetime ban from attending matches.
However, attempts to eradicate all forms of violence from Turkish football demands a more holistic approach from reorientation of violent fans to tougher security measures to eradicate frequent pitch invasions.
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbache crashed out of 2024-25 Champions League
Jose Mourinho began his reign as Fenerbache manager on a disappointing note as the team crashed out of the Champions League in the qualifying rounds.
The team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Lille in the first leg in France. In the reverse fixture, they were held to a 1-1 draw. Following the 3-2 aggregate loss to Ligue 1 side, they have crashed out of the competition.
Fenerbache narrowly missed out on the Super Lig title last season. Mourinho will be expected to lead the team to triumph in the Turkish top flight this season. They opened their campaign with a 1-0 home win over Adana Demirspor and have now drawn the second match in the violence-marred clash against Goztepe.
Next is an away trip to Çaykur Didi Stadyumu for matchday three fixture against Rizespor on Saturday, August 25, 2024.
