The Turkish Super Cup between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, scheduled for today in Riyadh, has been postponed to a later date. At the height of tensions between Turkey and the Arab authorities, the two teams refused to reach the stadium and are expected to return to Istanbul in the evening.
The diplomatic incident was triggered by demands imposed by Saudi Arabia on Turkish clubs (despite there being a previous agreement between the parties): to ban entry to the “Peace at home, peace in the world” banner, special and celebratory shirts with references to Ataturk, the Turkish national anthem and images of Ataturk, founder and first President of the Turkish Republic.
“I would like to remember the word of our ancestor ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ – said Fenerbahce president Ali Koç – We were going out with this banner. From what I understand, the authorities did not accept it.” Galatasaray general secretary Eray Yazgan said: “If our national anthem cannot be sung, we will not go on the pitch.”
In the evening, the press release from the Turkish Football Federation also arrived, which made the postponement of the match official, without however specifying the reasons. “The 2023 Super Cup, scheduled for Friday 29 December, has been postponed to a date to be determined due to the joint decision taken with our clubs, due to some interruptions in the organisation. We would like to thank the Football Federation and the institutions of the host country for the commitment made so far in organizing the Super Cup”, reads the note.
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2023-12-29 22:54:36
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