by Unusual situation in Saudi Arabia for the Turkish Super Cup dispute. The Turkish football classic between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, which was to be held in Riyadh throughout yesterday afternoon, was suspended at the last minute after the tensions experienced between the Turkish clubs and the Saudi government with a political disagreement as the trigger for the decision.
On the occasion of the celebration of centenary of the Republic of Türkiye, the long-awaited Super Cup match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce He moved to Saudi Arabia to contribute to the brand value of Turkish football. Riyadh bids to host one of the hottest derbies on the planet, an opportunity for the clubs to internationalize a duel that has always been synonymous with controversy.
However, the disagreements between the Turkish federation and Saudi authorities They precipitated an escalation of the conflict that ended with the suspension of the party. The clubs refused to go to the stadium, they stayed in their hotels and they released a joint statement in which they conveyed their decision to the fans.
The anthem, first point of conflict
Reactions after the return of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray players to Turkey after the cancellation of the Turkish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia / Agencies
Tensions between both parties began when the Turkish federation asked the Saudi government for the Turkish anthem to be played before starting the game. The clubs understood this request as a Indispensable condition for the match to be played, although the Saudi government He initially denied the request of both teams.
As the hours pass, the pressure of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce It increased with threats of not playing the match if his request was not fulfilled. Finally, Saudi Arabia openly showed the Turkish anthem to be played in the stadium, although it was the last loan that they were going to grant to the clubs.
A political message and the ‘flag of peace’
Turkish Super League – Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray / Agencies
The demands of Turkish clubsHowever, they did not stop at the anthem alone. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce They asked to go out to training wearing t-shirts with references to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic in 1923, to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the ‘new Turkey’. Furthermore, the clubs had prepare some banners with the message ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ which the same political leader coined.
Various meetings were held between the Turkish Minister of Sports, Osman Askin Bakthe president of the TFF, Mehmet Büyüeksithat of Galatasaray, Dursun Ozbekand that of Fenerbahçe, Ali Koç. However, the refusal of the Saudi authorities was categorical, a response that angered the teams who finally decided not to attend the meeting.
The reasons for the decision are multiplealthough they focus on the Palestinian conflict. Saudi Arabia does not want to appear to be taking sides in the genocide taking place in Gaza with a banner that can be interpreted in this way in support of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, it is important to remember that both countries They maintain a tense relationship after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul five years ago he went unpunished under suspicions of premeditated crime by the government.
The future of the Turkish Super Cup
For now, the clubs They have not commented on a future celebration of the final. The statement highlighted that the match had been ‘postponed’, although it did not specify when it would be played again on the calendar. It will be necessary to see if the tensions between the Turkish federation and the Saudi government They are resolved before seeing the ball roll between both teams in Arabia.
