Turkish football body rejects Fenerbahce replay appeal

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday rejected Fenerbahce's appeal about an alleged violation of the law of game in their Super Lig match against Aytemiz Alanyaspor held last week.

In a statement on the TFF website, the country's football body said that its board of management met to evaluate Fenerbahce's appeal Friday and decided that after the check-over, there was not any violation of the law of game in the Aytemiz Alanyaspor-Fenerbahce match held on April 29.

After the match ended as a goalless draw, Fenerbahce claimed that there was a violation of the law of the game in a penalty position in favor of the Istanbul club.

In the statement, Fenerbahce previously said that the penalty, which was given to them in the 27th minute, was disallowed after the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review and this decision violated the law of the game.

The referee of the match, Yasar Kemal Ugurlu, decided on a penalty kick after Fenerbahce forward Enner Valencia was brought down in the penalty area, but VAR overturned this decision as Valencia was offside.

Valencia was said to be caught in an offside position while his teammate Mesut Ozil, who was on the edge of the box, has sent a key pass to him.

"The cancellation of the penalty decision is a clear violation of the relevant articles of the IFAB, an organization which set the rules of football around the world," Fenerbahce said on Friday.
The game should be replayed, Fenerbahce previously added.

- IFAB rule

"A player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalized as it has occurred before the offside offence," IFAB rule says in its offside offense article.

"An offence is committed against a player in an offside position who is already playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the offside offence is penalized as it has occurred before the foul challenge," it adds.

Founded in 1886, IFAB is the International Football Association Board, which names the Laws of the Game.