The Turkish Football Federation’s Legal Department has referred Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk and player Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board following the sixth week of the Trendyol Süper Lig season.
According to the official filings, Buruk was referred to the disciplinary body under Article 36 of the Football Disciplinary Instruction due to “unsportsmanlike conduct” during Galatasaray’s match against Trabzonspor, carrying a conditional precautionary status effective from September 20, 2026.
Alongside the manager, Galatasaray midfielder Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu was sent to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board under Article 43 for a “rule-breaking movement” committed during the same fixture, also under precautionary measures starting September 20. The club itself faces disciplinary charges under Article 53 for “ugly and bad chanting” by supporters.
High-Profile Club Presidents Facing Disciplinary Action
The disciplinary sweep extended beyond the pitch-level incidents in Trabzon, ensnaring several club chiefs over public comments regarding the match. Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan was referred to the board without precautionary measures under Article 38 following media statements made in the aftermath of the Galatasaray fixture, which the federation categorized as “statements aimed at damaging the reputation of football.”
Trabzonspor as an organization was additionally cited under multiple headings, including “ugly and bad chanting” (Article 53), “saha olayları” (Article 52), and “talimatlara aykırı hareketler” (Article 46, alongside statute provisions 6/5, EK-1, and 6/14). Similarly, Beşiktaş President Serdal Adalı was referred to the board without precautionary measures under Article 38 due to post-match media commentary following Beşiktaş’s fixture against Amed Sportif Faaliyetler.
In the same match fixture, Amed Sportif Faaliyetler encountered a comprehensive list of charges. The club was cited for crowd-related violations, pitch events, stairwell management failures, unauthorized spectator entries, and team-level unsportsmanlike conduct after collecting seven yellow cards and one red card. Amed Sportif Faaliyetler President Nahit Eren joined the list of officials sent to the disciplinary board over post-match remarks, while technical director Besnik Hasi received a precautionary referral starting September 21 under Article 36 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Article 41 for verbal abuse.
Additional Fixture Sanctions and Coaching Staff Disciplinary Updates
Fenerbahçe was cited for crowd chanting under Article 53, while assistant coach Dirk Kuyt received a precautionary-free referral under Article 46 of the Disciplinary Instruction and Article 7/1-e of the Accreditation Instruction.
Further down the professional tiers, Arca Çorum FK faced sanctions for supporter chanting during their match against Corendon Alanyaspor on September 19, 2026. Arca Çorum FK administrator Savaş Balçık was concurrently referred to the disciplinary board without precautionary measures under Article 38 over media statements concerning the game’s administration.
