Ankaragucu club side has come out to defend their ex-club president after he was given a jail term following his assault on a referee. The Turkish football club defended their former president Faruk Koca following the sentence.
Turkish Club side Ankaragucu Support Ex-Club President for Punching Referee
Recently a court in the Turkish capital Ankara sentenced 60-year-old Koca to three years and seven months in prison for the assault. The action from the ex president was wrong and they said for “intentionally wounding a public official” jail is consequence.
Koca was also given a suspended sentence of under a year for making threats and violating laws related to violence in sport. The man punched a referee Halili Umut Meler after their 1-1 draw with Rizespor in December 2023. The action left the official with a fractured eye socket.
Meler fell to the floor and was subsequently kicked by three other individuals. In a statement published after the sentencing, Ankaragucu chairman Ismail Mert Firat said it was “impossible to interpret the sentence with good intentions.”
He argued that no disrespectful crime happened which was external and so he accused the court of succumbing to biased public opinion. Ankaragucu reaffirmed their support for Koca, citing his positive contributions to Turkish football during his three-year tenure as president and called him a “legend” regardless.
The club argued that the sentence is disproportionate as Koca resigned from his post and publicly apologised following the assault. The Turkish Football Federation suspended football in the country for a week following the incident and handed Koca a permanent ban as well.
Ankaragucu were fined two million lira (£54,000) and ordered to play five home games without any fans. Three other defendants involved in the attack received suspended sentences ranging from 15 months to five years.
All four are expected to appeal against the court’s ruling, while Koca will not be sent to jail until the higher court rules on any appeal.
