Fenerbahce calls on TFF: Derby incidents must not go unpunished

After the derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce at RAMS Park, there was physical scuffling and verbal arguments in the corridors leading to the pitch and the dressing rooms. Following the incidents, Abdulkerim Bardakci of Galatasaray and Archie Brown of Fenerbahce were shown red cards.

Fenerbahce strongly condemned what happened in a statement published on its official website. The club said the incidents, which began with a verbal attack on Kerem Akturkoglu, escalated with an attack by Galatasaray analysis team member Serhat Dogan on Matteo Guendouzi, and continued when Abdulkerim Bardakci pulled a player's hair.

The statement stressed that the rivalry and tension of a derby give no one the right to attack players. The club argued that what happened cannot be dismissed as "derby tension," and said the conduct of the rival team's members fueled the incidents rather than easing the tension.

Fenerbahce said that at a time when Turkish football needs calm, the club has acted responsibly. It called on the Turkish Football Federation to thoroughly examine the actions of everyone involved and to apply the necessary disciplinary sanctions to those responsible without discrimination.