In a wild turn of events, European soccer referee Halil Umut Meler was hospitalized after being assaulted on Monday
An official was physically attacked following a Turkish soccer match on Monday after one of the club presidents ran onto the pitch and punched him in the face.
After a 1-1 draw between MKE Ankaragücü and Rizepor, Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca sprinted, full-speed ahead, to hit referee Halil Umut Meler in the face. The official immediately went ‘down like Frazier’ from the sucker punch.
Up close video of the ref showed him already sporting a shiner – just seconds after the haymaker.
And while it may all sound like a scene out of a sports movie parody, the real-life consequences of the soccer president’s actions weren’t so farcical. Several fans rushed the pitch at the end of the game, too, also attacking Meler. The official was eventually escorted away safely by police.
Due to the wild melee, the Turkish league suspended all games on Monday.
“This attack is a night of shame for Turkish football,” TFF chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said at a news conference, according to the BBC.
“Football matches are not a war. There is no death at the end. Not all teams can become champions at the same time. We all need to understand this. We invite everyone to take responsibility. [Ankaragücü] and its managers will be punished most severely.”
Meler, 37, is a referee in the Turkish league and also works soccer matches for FIFA and UEFA. He was briefly hospitalized, but was released with no major injuries following the assault.
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