Turkey’s press blasted Fifa on Wednesday over the sanctions meted out by football’s governing body for the country’s part in the brawl that marred their November World Cup qualifier against Switzerland.
Fifa ordered Turkey to play their next six home games behind closed doors at a neutral venue and pay all organisational costs, handed out a €129 000 fine and banned three of their players.
”Why not just hang us?” asked the mass-circulation Hurriyet, describing the punishment as the ”heaviest in the history” of world football’s governing body.
”This is not punishment, it is execution,” screamed the popular Aksam. ”Fifa has crucified Turkey.”
But Swiss papers responded by condemning Fifa for acting too leniently against the Turks.
”Turkey escapes,” cried the Neuchatel paper L’Express, while the Swiss-German daily Blick described the sanctions as ”ridiculously lenient”.
The three players suspended for their part in the fracas that erupted after the November 16 match in Istanbul were defender Alpay Ozalan, Emre Belozoglu and Serkan Balci.
Ozalan — formerly with Aston Villa, now with Germany’s FC Cologne — and midfielder Belozoglu of Newcastle United were suspended for six internationals and fined 15 000 Swiss francs (€9 660) each.
Winger Balci of Istanbul’s Fenerbahce was given a two-match ban and fined 5 000 Swiss francs (€3 220).
Assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek, who has since resigned his position, was banned from taking part in ”any football-related activity” for one year and fined 15 000 Swiss francs.
However, Turkish coach Fatih Terim escaped unscathed with Swiss newspaper Le Temps claiming this was ”a flagrant denial of justice” and accusing the head coach of inciting the ugly scenes.
In stark contrast with the majority of newspapers, only the popular Vatan argued that Turkey got off lightly.
”We made a narrow escape,” it said.
The chief of Vatan‘s sports section wrote that the sanctions provided a good opportunity to evaluate the state of Turkish football, which has been rocked by allegations of mafia involvement.
”We Turks do not like self-criticism, but we cannot escape it anymore,” he said.
A brawl broke out between the two sides as they left the pitch after the final whistle that saw Switzerland make it to the final round of the 2006 World Cup despite losing 4-2.
Photographs at the time showed Ozdilek trying to trip Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami as the visiting team rushed to the dressing rooms. Ozdilek was then kicked by Switzerland’s Benjamin Huggel — Fifa banned him for six matches and fined him 15 000 Swiss francs — who went on to hurl himself at Alpay.
The two grappled and fell to the ground as the scene exploded into a free-for-all involving rival players and technical staff that continued in the dressing room tunnels. – AFP
