Eventful Kasımpaşa-Beşiktaş clash to be replayed due to referee mistake

ISTANBUL

Beşiktaş players celebrate a goal, gathering around goalkeeper and captain Tolga Zengin. The ex-Trabzonspor talent, who played in the match despite losing his mother a few days before, has quickly won the hearts of Beşiktaş fans despite only joining the club in the summer. Cihan photo

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has ordered a replay of a Super League game between Istanbul rivals Kasımpaşa and Beşiktaş that was marred by a fan invasion and an error by the referee that affected the course of the contest.

The unusual game which ended with a 2-1 Kasımpaşa victory stirred a great outcry on the Black Eagles’ side, with the latter crying foul after match official Barış Şimşek failed to penalize Kasımpaşa’s Dutch veteran Ryan Donk after he threw an extra ball in the penalty area at Beşiktaş’s Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida to nullify a goal-scoring opportunity. 

The match was also marked by a fan’s attempted attack on Black Eagles’ midfielder Manuel Fernandes. The intruder was first taken down by Kasımpaşa players after managing to kick the Portuguese player before being hit on the ground by Beşiktaş’ Almeida and Ramon Motta. Both were sent off by the referee as a result. 

The TFF ruled Jan. 12 after taking the testimonies of the six match officials at the game that Donk’s action constituted a violation of the rules, that a penalty should have been awarded and that a red card should have been shown to the Dutchman. 

The decision did not satisfy either of the sides as Kasımpaşa coach Shota Arveladze suggested that Donk’s action was not a violation of the rules, while opposite number Slaven Bilic argued that the game should have been awarded to Beşiktaş 3-0. 

Due to the incidents in the stands of Kasımpaşa’s stadium, named after favorite neighborhood son Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the TFF’s Discipline Committee issued a two-game stadium ban for the ambitious home side following the game. Beşiktaş’ Motta was also sanctioned for three games. 

The club, which is financially boosted by businessmen eager to appeal to the stadium’s name-bearer, ended the first part of the season in third with 31 points, trailing only Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. Because the match result has been suspended, however, Kasımpaşa has now dropped to fifth on 28 points, one point behind the Black Eagles, pending the replay.

Ironically, Beşiktaş is playing most of its home games at Kasımpaşa’s stadium this season due to the rebuilding of its İnönü Stadium.