Former Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca has been handed a permanent ban by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) after punching a referee in the face earlier this week.
Koca was among several Ankaragucu officials to storm the playing surface at the end of the team’s 1-1 draw with Rizespor on Monday, and was seen to floor UEFA official Halil Umut Meler with a punch to the face.
Meler was also kicked in the head by another individual as he lay on the turf and was subsequently treated in hospital, as the TFF reacted by suspending all domestic football in the country.
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Fifty-nine-year-old Koca was arrested for “injuring a public official” but initially denied all accusations put to him, only to later apologise and announce his resignation as Ankaragucu president on the club’s website.
On Thursday night, the TFF announced a series of sanctions against Ankaragucu and Koca, who has been hit with a lifetime ban from football in the country.
Ankaragucu will also pay a fine of two million lira (£54,000) and will be forced to play five home matches behind closed doors.
The TFF confirmed on Wednesday that league football will resume on December 19, with this weekend’s planned slate of Super Lig games being rescheduled for early January.
Ankaragucu’s first game without fans will be played next Thursday, when they host Hatayspor, before they visit Pendikspor on Christmas Day.
Bugün yapılan TFF Yönetim Kurulu toplantısında profesyonel Lig müsabakalarına ilişkin aşağıdaki kararlar alınmıştır:
Trendyol Süper Lig, Trendyol 1. Lig, TFF 2. Lig ve TFF 3. Lig’de 15, 16, 17 ve 18 Aralık 2023 tarihlerinde oynanması gereken müsabakaların ileri bir tarihe…
— TFF (@TFF_Org) December 13, 2023
