Yesterday, Atalanta of Berat Gjimshiti lost the first leg of the Champions League play-offs in the 94th minute due to a very generous penalty awarded to Brugge by Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler.
This episode infuriated the black and blue players as well as their coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
The Turkish referee is no stranger to controversies of this kind, although fortunately yesterday in Belgium the violence he suffered in December 2023 did not reach the level he suffered when he was kicked and punched by Faruk Koca, the president of the Ankaragucu club, who entered the field after his team was equalized by Caykur Rizespor in the 97th minute.
Meler was taken to hospital with a broken bone in his face and was then escorted by police out of the stadium to avoid further retaliation from Turkish fans.
"I will never forget it and I will never forgive it. I fell to the ground and they kicked and punched me, someone threatened to kill me," he said after that match.
The very serious episode led to the suspension of the Turkish championship for several weeks, the arrest of three aggressors, including the president of Ankaragucu, who resigned from the club.
Recently, Möller had also caused controversy in Saudi Arabia, where the Turkish Football Federation sent him to referee in the usual exchanges of cooperation between federations. Al Shabab had filed a formal complaint after the defeat to Al Hilal, adding that the Turkish referee had made a mistake.
Another round, another controversy: this time in Saudi Arabia-Oman in the Gulf Cup, overturned by the visitors thanks to a questionable sending-off and a disallowed goal for the hosts. At the end of the match, the Saudi coach, Herve Renard, followed Möller to the dressing room and argued with him and his assistants. (A2 Televizion)
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MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
