Fenerbahce staged a walk-off protest during the rescheduled Turkish Supercup against Galatasaray on Sunday, just three minutes into the match, citing alleged unfair treatment.
The club fielded an Under-19 team for the game and conceded a goal to Galatasaray’s Mauro Icardi before leaving the field, in line with pre-match reports of their intentions to kick off and then forfeit.
Fenerbahce President Ali Koc emphasized the need for a reset in Turkish football, expressing these sentiments at a press conference held in Sanliurfa, more than 1,000 kilometers away from Istanbul, an area impacted by the 2023 earthquake that claimed over 53,500 lives.
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The proceeds from the game were intended to be donated to quake victims.
Fenerbahce, currently pursuing their first Turkish title since 2014, find themselves two points behind champions Galatasaray with seven rounds remaining.
They allege unfair treatment and had previously requested a postponement of the Supercup ahead of their Europa League quarter-final against Olympiakos.
Additionally, Fenerbahce sought a foreign referee for the Supercup, citing their dissatisfaction with Turkish referees.
The Turkish Football Federation, however, rejected both requests, despite having recently handed one-match suspensions to two Fenerbahce players following a pitch invasion incident in Trabzon.
Originally scheduled for December 29 in Riyadh, the Supercup was postponed at the last minute due to a disagreement over warm-up shirts featuring Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s image, marking the centenary of the Turkish Republic.
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