Galatasaray Accuses Turkish Referees Of ‘Evil’ Plot After Derby Rout

A dominant 3-0 derby victory over Fenerbahçe was not enough to silence Galatasaray on Sunday — the Istanbul giants used the win to launch one of the most pointed attacks on match officiating seen in Turkish football this season.

In a series of posts on social media platform X during the Süper Lig encounter, Galatasaray directed sharp language at the officials, claiming they had been denied two penalties. “Despite these referees, we’re still leading 1-0. We see what you’re doing, your plans, the evil inside you. This order won’t go on like this,” the club stated publicly.

The outburst unfolded as Galatasaray led 1-0 at half-time, with the match already carrying heavy title implications. Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock before second-half strikes from Barış Alper Yılmaz and Lucas Torreira sealed the result, moving Galatasaray seven points clear of Fenerbahçe with three matches remaining.

Fenerbahçe’s evening deteriorated further after they missed a first-half penalty and were reduced to ten men when referee Yasin Kol dismissed goalkeeper Ederson.

The controversy arrives at a particularly turbulent moment for Turkish football’s relationship with its officials. In 2023, referee Halil Umut Meler was physically assaulted by then-club president Faruk Koca — an incident that triggered widespread match suspensions across the league. More recently, former Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho was fined and banned following public comments questioning refereeing impartiality, while several clubs have staged walk-offs in protest at decisions on the pitch.

Off the field, Galatasaray president Dursun Aydın Özbek had already announced the club’s suspension of all relations with the Turkish Football Federation’s current leadership — a move that signals how deeply institutional trust has eroded. The Federation itself previously suspended 149 referees and assistant referees following a betting-related investigation, a development that cast a long shadow over the sport’s credibility.

With the title race entering its final weeks, Galatasaray’s latest remarks are likely to intensify already strained relations between the league’s dominant clubs and match officials, ensuring refereeing standards remain under scrutiny through the season’s conclusion.

AFP