Bedirhan Durak, chairman of Adana Demirspor, announced his resignation. This decision came just a day after the team walked off the field in protest during their Super Lig match against Galatasaray, on Monday morning.
“I now sadly see that we have reached a deadlock. For the sake of my club, my family, my loved ones, and my health, I hereby announce my resignation from the presidency,” Durak said in a statement.
Adana Demirspor’s recent resignation stemmed from their dramatic decision to walk off the field 30 minutes into their Super Lig match against Galatasaray on Saturday night, trailing 1-0 due to a penalty. The match was subsequently abandoned.
According to several club officials, the walk-off was a protest against Turkey’s referees committee and the football federation.
Adana Demirspor, who are at the bottom of the table, were trailing to a 12th-minute penalty scored by Galatasaray’s Spanish striker, Álvaro Morata.
Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk suggested in a post-match interview that the penalty decision might have been incorrect.
In response to the incident, Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilıcalı has called for “the most famous and best referees in the world” to officiate the league derby at Galatasaray scheduled for February 23.
“We definitely hope that there will be a foreign referee in the derby, but the federation will decide … Our federation has such power,” Ilıcalı said.
“They can bring one of the best referees in the world here. I am calling out to Galatasaray Club on behalf of Fenerbahçe Club: We followed your statements on the foreign referee issue. Let them apply on this issue, let us apply as well. And we want this derby to be managed by the most famous and best referees in the world.”