 "A section of the fans onto the pitch after the final whistle and attacked the Fenerbahce footballers. The situation turned quite concerning as the security personnel later intervened to clear the ground. AP")
Violent scenes transpired at Papara Park after Fenerbahce beat hosts Trabzonspor 3-2 in a gripping Turkish Super Lig match on Sunday, March 17. The scoreline remained in the balance till the 87th minute when Michy Batshuayi struck the winning goal for the visiting side to secure a last-gasp victory. That’s when tensions started brewing up among the home crowd. A section of fans who were present at the stadium couldn’t digest the defeat. They stormed onto the pitch after the final whistle and attacked the Fenerbahce footballers. The situation turned quite concerning as the security personnel later intervened to clear the ground.
Several videos featuring the heated on-field altercation were shared on social media and became viral in no time. In one of those footage, Fenerbahce stars like Bright Osayi-Samuel and Michy Batshuayi were seen fighting back to save themselves from the ire of Trabzonspor supporters. Amid the mayhem, Osayi-Samuel was captured knocking down a home fan, who was raging towards his teammates.
Fenerbahce players were safely sent home on Sunday night by a private plane. Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya criticised the incident through an X post where he wrote, “Sports is, above all, sportsmanship. It is never acceptable for violence to occur on football fields.”
Turkish Police managed to identify 12 Trabzonspor fans who were involved in the brawl and detained them, Yerlikaya confirmed via a subsequent post on the microblogging site. Among the arrested individuals was the person who tried to hurt Fenerbahce Coach Ismail Kartal with a foreign object during the match.
The man who first jumped onto the field to initiate the chaos was also detained. Turkish Police also located some fans, who were allegedly spreading hatred on social media.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has termed the incident “absolutely unacceptable”. “I have said it before, and I will say it again - without exception, in football, 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,” Infantino wrote in a statement, as quoted by the BBC.
Fenerbahce took an early two-goal lead on the back of a brace by Brazilian midfielder Fred. Trabzonspor registered a roaring comeback in the second half. Enis Bardhi netted the opening goal for the home side before Trezeguet converted a penalty to make it all square. Thanks to the away win, Fenerbahce held the second position in the Super Lig standings. They are only two points behind table-topper Galatasaray after 30 matches.