At fault but still aggressive, Emre reopens Zokora feud

ISTANBUL

Lawyer of Emre (R) claims Trabzon’s Zokora intended to ‘deliberately hurt’ him. Hürriyet photo

Turkish footballer Emre Belözoğlu reopened a feud with Trabzonspor’s Didier Zokora yesterday, filing a criminal complaint against the Ivorian midfielder for the latter’s hard foul during a match in the wake of a racism row between the two.

Emre’s lawyers filed the complaint at a Trabzon court yesterday, alleging that the Trabzonspor player intended to “deliberately hurt” his Turkish opponent on May 6.

Zokora threw a flying kick between Emre’s legs during the game, resulting in a yellow card.

The feud began April 15 when Zokora accused Emre of racially abusing him during a highly charged game between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe.

The statement from Emre’s lawyers said Zokora’s “intentions were clear after he [refused] to shake Emre’s hand in the pre-game ceremony” and that he “used a facial paint like those of African tribes.”
Emre denied the racism allegations springing from the April 15 fixture and was subsequently cleared of the charges by the Turkish Football Federation, which nevertheless handed the Turkish footballer a two-match ban for “insulting” Zokora.

Last month, Trabzonspor filed a criminal complaint at an Istanbul court against Emre – who was recently signed by Atletico Madrid after his Fenerbahçe contract ended – on charges of racism, but the Kadıköy Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the case earlier this week, saying there was not enough evidence.