Trabzonspor fans invade pitch, attack Fenerbahce players in Türkiye Police detained 12 people

Turkish police have detained 12 people after fans of top tier soccer club Trabzonspor invaded the pitch following a home loss against Fenerbahce, touching off violent scuffles between the fans and visiting players.

The Trabzonspor fans charged onto the pitch as Fenerbahce players celebrated their 3-2 win following the final whistle of the Turkish Superlig game in the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon, Independent reports.

Some Fenerbahce players hit back at fans who kicked or punched them, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Security staff later helped the Fenerbahce players down the tunnel into the locker rooms.

The incident came just months after the president of top-flight club Ankaragucu was arrested for punching a referee following a match, prompting the Turkish Football Federation to briefly suspend league games.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 18 that police detained 12 people in connection with the violence.

Dün akşam oynanan Trabzonspor-Fenerbahçe Süper Lig Futbol karşılaşması sonrası meydana gelen olaylarla ilgili olarak ilk belirlemelere göre 1️⃣2️⃣ şahıs yakalanarak gözaltına alındı.

📌Maç esnasında Fenerbahçe Teknik Direktörü İsmail Kartal’a yabancı madde atan C.K. isimli şahıs,…

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) March 18, 2024

Yerlikaya said among those detained were a person who threw a projectile at Fenerbahce coach İsmail Kartal during the match, a man who was the first to invade the pitch, a fan who grabbed the corner flag and charged toward the players and a person who hit Fenerbahce goalkeeper Dominic Livakovic.

Earlier, Yerlikaya said an investigation was ongoing and that those who invaded the pitch would be identified.

“The occurrence of violence on football fields is not acceptable,” he wrote.

The Turkish Football Federation also condemned the incident and said those responsible would be punished following an investigation.