(Soccer) Turkey gets heavy sanctions for WC brawl

[SirFozzie]

From Soccenet: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=357810&cc=5901

Turkey today felt the full wrath of FIFA after they were given severe punishments for the violent clashes involving players and officials at the end of the World Cup play-off against Switzerland.

Following a disciplinary hearing, FIFA have ordered Turkey to play their next six competitive matches behind closed doors on neutral ground.

The sanctions, which apply to official matches and not friendlies, are among the most severe handed out to a national association and will hit Turkey's chances of qualifying for Euro2008.

Newcastle midfielder Emre and former Aston Villa defender Alpay, now at Cologne, have been banned for six matches for their part in the clashes in Istanbul on November 16.

Turkey lost the play-off and after the final whistle players and officials were involved in a mass brawl on the pitch and in the tunnel.

The Turkish FA have also been fined £88,300 (200,000 Swiss francs). Switzerland international Benjamin Huggel has been banned for six matches after he was filmed kicking out at Turkey assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek, who has himself been banned from all football-related activity for a year.

The violence continued in the tunnel and Swiss defender Stephane Grichting was taken to hospital and needed a catheter inserted after being kicked in the stomach during a free-for-all.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter had promised 'we will take tough action' after the scenes and, in terms of international teams, the sanctions are unprecedented.

The disciplinary committee also announced two-match bans for Turkish player Serkan Balci and Swiss physio Stephan Meyer.

Turkey's football federation said it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Haluk Ulusoy, president of the Turkish Football Federation, said he was confident CAS would rule in Turkey's favour.

'I'm very sad both for me and for my country but I am a person who loves a struggle,' he told reporters.

Turkey's sports minister Mehmet Ali Sahin told NTV news channel: 'I describe this decision as unacceptable. This is a political decision rather than a sports decision.'

'We are very surprised at the seriousness of the punishments, but we don't want to compare our punishment with the Turkish punishment,' said Pierre Benoit, spokesman for the Swiss FA.

'We don't want to judge the Turkish punishment either. As far as I know Bernard is in Germany with his club (Eintracht Frankfurt) and is talking to his lawyer.'

FIFA launched a widespread investigation the week after the match and interviewed 22 people about the incidents as witnesses or defendants.

Grichting was unable to attend the hearings for medical reasons and submitted his statement in writing.

Punishments

• Turkey ordered to play next six home matches behind closed doors in a neutral venue in another country and to pay all organisational costs with regard to these six matches.
• Turkish FA fined £88,300 plus procedural costs of £8,830.
• Alpay Ozalan (Turkey player) - Suspended for Turkey's next six matches. Fined £6,622 plus costs of £440.
• Emre Belozoglu (Turkey player) - Suspended for Turkey's next six matches. Fined £6,622 plus costs of £440.
• Serkan Balci (Turkey player) - Suspended for Turkey's next two matches. Fined £2,200 plus costs of £220.
• Mehmet Ozdilek (Turkey assistant coach) - Banned from taking part in any football-related activity for 12 months. Fined £6,622 plus costs of £440.
• Benjamin Huggel (Switzerland player) - Suspended for Switzerland's next six matches. Fined £6,622 plus costs of £220.
• Stephan Meyer (Switzerland physiotherapist) - Suspended for Switzerland's next two matches. Fined £2,870 plus costs of £220.

[Desnudo]

If that guy needed a catheter, the stomach is probably not where he was kicked.

[SirFozzie]

No, the BBC article got it right, he was kicked in the groin.. but here's the thing, the six game suspension means that all 12 Qualifying games Turkey plays in Euro08 qualifying will be on the road (6 Normal Road games, and six closed door neutral ground games that will now replace their home games).. and just in case turkish fans wanted to go intimidate the other team anyway, the stadium selected for the match must be at least 312 miles from Turkey's borders)

[MIJB#19]

the stadium selected for the match must be at least 312 miles from Turkey's borders)The hilarious part of it is that Turkey has drawn Greece and Moldova as two of their opponents, meaning those road games will be closer to home than their own home games. Heck, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary and even Malta will probably be closer to home than whatever site they'll be able to play in. Only Norway will likely be further away than the Turkish' new home town. :D

[Dutch]

The Turks were awesome back in the WC'02. I'm guessing they aren't doing so hot this time around based on these actions.

But this doesn't surprise me that they get into scuffles like this, the Turkish national team always seemed to be a little onery.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I had Alpay back in a old version of FM (back when it was still Champ Man). He was ornery. I loved him as a DC. Tough, physical, though likely to be ejected from time to time. I like that sort of play from my defenders.

[ice4277]

I had Alpay back in a old version of FM (back when it was still Champ Man). He was ornery. I loved him as a DC. Tough, physical, though likely to be ejected from time to time. I like that sort of play from my defenders.
Yes, I had him as well and liked him for the same reasons. He was one of the keys to my FA Cup-winning Sunderland side back on CM 01-02.

[Abe Sargent]

I took Halil Altintop to a best German League player and second best striker in Europe with Kaiserslautern in 2013. Not that that compares to Alpay, but I thought I'd add a comment anyway.

-Anxiety

[AlexB]

The Turks were awesome back in the WC'02. I'm guessing they aren't doing so hot this time around based on these actions.

That was when they selected Muzzy Izzet when he was at Leicester. After they decided not to leave him out of the squad, it has been a consistent decline ;)

[bhlloy]

My two cents - this is a good move by FIFA, even if I did expect Switzerland to recieve more of a penalty (their physio did start the whole thing off)

Turkish football has always been about intimidation and sometimes it has gone a long way beyond that (Two Leeds United fans being stabbed to death, numerous accounts of players being attacked on the pitch by fans and the stadium security/riot police helping) and while English clubs were rightly reamed up the ass for their problems in the 80's and 90's relatively little has been done about the huge problem in Turkey. So if this screws up their chances of qualifying for Euro 08 - great. Maybe the lesson will be learned.

Now all FIFA has to do is get serious about teams that encourage or do nothing to discourage racist chanting, and I'll be happy.

[Dutch]

Two Leeds United fans being stabbed to death

The way the Turks explained it was that these two "fans" were being extremely insultive and disrespectful to the Turks, their flag, and Attaturk. All of which is a big no-no in Turkey. And with them being one of the most nationlistic nations on the planet, it shouldn't be to hard to put 2 and 2 together and a visiting "fan".

They didn't condone killing them, but they understand why it happened.

I guess in Europe it's okay to be insultive, but in Turkey, you better watch your back. I was always honest when talking with the Turks, but I never went out of my way to piss them off. :)