Fenerbahce beat Istanbul rivals Besiktas 2-1 on Saturday, tightening up the title race in the Turkish Super Lig. The game won’t be remembered for the result, though — it’s the five red cards that are attracting attention.
5 red cards shown as Turkish soccer rivalry descends into chaos
Istanbul derbies are always fierce, but Fenerbahce and Besiktas probably went too far on Saturday.
Watch as referee Ali Palabiyik sends off Besiktas’ Ricardo Quaresma and Fenerbahce’s Novo Neto in the first half, then Atiba Hutchinson of Besiktas and İsmail Köybaşı of Fenerbahce in the second half. All came on bad tackles and were completely justifiable red cards.
The fifth red card isn’t on that highlight video because it happened after the final whistle blew. Following the game, Besiktas midfielder Oğuzhan Özyakup confronted Palabiyik to criticize him. Özyakup says he did not use insults or curse at Palabiyik, but multiple Turkish outlets are reporting that Özyakup did use an insult, even if he didn’t swear. In any event, Palabiyik was not amused and showed him a second yellow card.
If you want to catch the next big game between Istanbul’s big three teams, league-leading Galatasaray vs. Fenerbahce is scheduled for Sunday, October 22. We recommend reading up on the experience here.
See More:
