The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced on Friday that starting this week, foreign video assistant referees will officiate key matches in the Turkish Super Lig.
The move comes in the wake of claims that title-chasing Fenerbahce are biased against the referee, who are two points behind arch-rivals Galatasaray in the title race.
“Foreign Video Assistant Referee (VAR)…”
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced on Friday that starting this week, foreign video assistant referees will officiate key matches in the Turkish Super Lig.
The move follows claims that Fenerbahce, who are aiming for the title, are biased against the referee, and are two points behind arch-rivals Galatasaray in the title race.
In May, the TFF announced in a statement that “a foreign Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be assigned to this week's important matches…until the end of the league.”
Fenerbahce's game against Fatih Karagmurk on Sunday and Galatasaray's game against Alanyaspor on Monday will both be affected.
Foreign VAR personnel are also expected to cover Saturday's game between Anakaraguk and Gaziantep, where both teams are locked in a relegation battle.
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TFF announced that it has signed agreements with federations in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Fenerbahce president Ali Kok claimed on Sunday that there is an “underground network in Turkish football that uses referees to decide the outcome of the championship.”
The club was fined 115,000 euros ($123,175) on Thursday for leaving Sunday's Super Cup final against Galatasaray on suspicion of unfair treatment.
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