Hatayspor have withdrawn from the Turkish top flight following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria this week. According to club union president Ali Koc, Gaziantep, for which Czech defender Matěj Hanousek plays, is considering the same move.
“They wrote us a letter from Hatayspor. They informed us that they will no longer play this season,” said Koc at today’s press conference, where he was with Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Mehmet Büyükeksi.
Ghanaian player Christian Atsu has been missing since Monday’s earthquake, although the club’s vice-president claimed he had been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital. But Atsu’s agent denied the news on Wednesday. The club’s sports director Taner Savut is also missing.
“If Gaziantep also wants to opt out, we will continue with 17 teams,” stated Koc. The club has not yet commented on the fate of the season.
The entire province of Gaziantep, including its capital of the same name, was located near the epicenter of the earthquake and was severely affected by the disaster. Sparta player Hanousek, who is visiting Turkey, returned to the Czech Republic with his family on Wednesday.
All sporting events, including the football league, were stopped immediately after the earthquake. The league is not expected to start again until March 3. In Turkey, according to the authorities, over 17,000 people died, and the TFF said that among the victims were also football players and coaches from various competitions.
