PEOPLES GAZETTE
Former president of Turkish club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, has been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for assaulting a referee, Halil Umut Meler.
He also received a suspended sentence of under a year for making threats and violating laws related to violence in sports. The ex-club president was sentenced on Monday.
Mr Koca assaulted the referee during a match between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in the Super Lig.
In December 2023, after Ankaragucu conceded a 97th-minute equaliser against Caykur Rizespor, Koca, alongside three other individuals, stormed the pitch and attacked the referee, punching him several times in the face.
Mr Meler later required treatment for a fractured eye socket and other injuries.
The incident led to the suspension of league matches by the Turkish Football Federation for a week.
Mr Koca was also given a lifetime football ban by the TFF.
Meanwhile, in a statement on…
