By Emre Asikci
ISTANBUL (AA) - Football matches in Türkiye will resume next week after being suspended because of a physical attack on a referee by a team’s president.
Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Buyukeksi announced that matchday 17 competitions of the Turkish Super League will be played Dec. 19, after a meeting at the Riva Facility of the Turkish football body in Istanbul.
He said 16th week matches, originally scheduled for this weekend but postponed, will be played the week of Jan. 10.
The president of Turkish Super Lig team MKE Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, resigned Tuesday after a shocking incident Monday in which he punched one of the game referees.
Koca, 59, was remanded into custody for punching Halil Umut Meler in the face after a Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Following the final whistle, Koca walked onto the pitch and punched the FIFA-licensed referee.
Once Meler fell to the ground, several people kicked him, and the 37-year-old referee was taken to an Ankara hospital.
Meler was discharged Wednesday from the hospital.