Referee cancels Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The derby match between Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe was cancelled on the evening of May 3 as the former Beşiktaş refused to take the field.

The match referee waited about an hour for Beşiktas to show up but the Istanbul club refused to take the field after the violent April 19 derby match.

On April 19, the Istanbul derby football game was called off due to violence after Beşiktas manager Şenol Güneş was injured by objects that were flung from the stands of Fenerbahce’s Ülker Stadium.

The Ziraat Turkish Cup’s semifinal second leg was postponed at the 57th minute. The Turkish Football Federation decided on April 25 that the match would continue where it left off on May 3, but with no fans in attendance.

In a statement released by Beşiktaş Football Club’s official Twitter account last Thursday, the club said it had decided not to take the field.

“We have always been on the pitch for 115 years, winning, losing or drawing on the pitch. For not accepting to lose with decisions, we will not be on the pitch on Thursday, May 3,” the statement said.

The Turkish Football Federation is likely to make a final decision about the match in the coming days.

The first leg at Besiktaş’s home ground, Vodafone Park, had ended 2-2.

Akhisarspor are the first squad to reach the cup final after eliminating Galatasaray.