A Protest on the Pitch

In a dramatic turn of events in Turkey, players from Adana Demirspor walked off the pitch in protest after a controversial penalty call during their match against Galatasaray.

The incident unfolded during the first half and sparked chaos in the stadium, leading to the game being abandoned.

The Penalty Incident

The drama began when Galatasaray’s Alvaro Morata, who is currently on loan from AC Milan, scored a penalty in the 12th minute.

However, the decision to award the penalty raised eyebrows.

Dries Mertens of Galatasaray went down in the penalty area after what appeared to be minimal contact from Adana Demirspor’s Semih Guler.

This led to a dispute over the fairness of the decision.

Adana Demirspor’s Walkout

As the match progressed, tension grew.

In the 34th minute, Adana Demirspor’s head coach, Mustafa Alper Avci, called his players over for a discussion as one of his players, Yusuf Barasi, received treatment.

Soon after, Adana’s players made the decision to walk off the pitch in protest.

This action left the Galatasaray players confused, and they eventually followed suit, exiting the field as well.

Match Abandoned

After the players left, the officials, including referee Oguzhan Cakir, also departed.

Roughly 20 minutes later, the stadium announcer confirmed that the match had been officially abandoned.

The announcer stated that the game had been called off due to Adana Demirspor’s withdrawal.

Reactions and Statements

Metin Korkmaz, the former president of Adana Demirspor, clarified the protest, stating that it was aimed at the Turkish Refereeing Committee, not Galatasaray.

As for the current standings, Galatasaray remains at the top of the Super Lig, holding a three-point lead over second-place Fenerbahce, though they’ve played one less match.

Galatasaray’s Morata had previously netted a goal in their 4-1 Turkish Cup win over Boluspor, marking his third appearance for the club.

What’s Next for Both Teams?

As for the upcoming fixtures, Galatasaray is set to face AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League next Thursday, while Adana Demirspor will host Antalyaspor in a Super Lig match on Friday.

Meanwhile, Galatasaray’s next league match is against Rizespor on February 17.

Fenerbahce, a close competitor to Galatasaray, didn’t hold back in their response to the ongoing controversy, accusing Galatasaray of various ethical and legal missteps involving irregular contracts and media manipulation.

The drama surrounding this match is bound to have further repercussions in Turkish football.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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