Istanbulspor

The recent shocking assault on referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch by a former club president and the subsequent series of violent incidents have prompted sports writer Uğur Meleke to advocate for a radical package of measures to address the pervasive chaos and violence in Turkish football.

Turkish football was plunged into further crisis on Dec. 19 night after Istanbulspor walked off the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision in its Süper Lig game against Trabzonspor, on the day the league resumed following a one-week suspension after a club president punched a referee.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) will be organizing music concerts before matches to promote interest in the sports and fill the stadiums once emptied due to coronavirus and unsatisfactory football matches.

The target is to attract mainly women and children, local media outlets said.