Turkish football was thrown into fresh controversy as Adana Demirspor abandoned their Süper Lig clash against Galatasaray in protest of refereeing decisions.
Galatasaray was leading 1-0 following a controversial penalty - which its own head coach thought shouldn’t have been awarded - when Adana players decided to walk off in the 30th minute of the top-tier game.
The penalty was awarded in the 11th minute after Dries Mertens was apparently tripped. Despite television replays showing that the former Napoli player had seemingly dived, the video assistant referee confirmed the penalty, which was converted by new signing Alvaro Morata.
As frustrations mounted over additional officiating calls, Adana players abruptly left the pitch to a chorus of boos. The club later clarified that their protest was aimed at the Central Referee Board, not Galatasaray.
