A Turkish club just released a passionate 172-word statement after their player got one of the most unusual red cards you’ll ever see.
Amed SK are currently leading the Turkish Super Lig, just one point ahead of the defending champions Galatasaray, after a 2-1 win against Samsunspor. This loss puts Samsunspor in the relegation zone after nine games, with only four points so far. They were especially upset about a strange red card decision during the match.
The Turkish club has now released a strong 172-word statement criticizing the refereeing, not only in this game but across the league.
During the 37th minute, Afonso Sousa got a yellow card for a late challenge on an Amed SK player. Most people agreed this was a fair call. But what happened next caused the controversy. Sousa clapped in the direction of his opponent, which seemed like he was trying to say the foul earned him the booking. The referee, however, thought the clap was aimed at him and immediately gave Sousa a second yellow, then sent him off.
This decision hurt Samsunspor, who ended up losing 2-1 and stayed in the relegation zone.
After the game, Samsunspor released a strong statement asking for better refereeing and a review of the incident, hoping the red card decision will be overturned. They said:
“Last night was a tough night for football. Even though we ask for fair and honest refereeing, controversial decisions keep happening. Everyone knows what happened in the 9th-week match at our home. After our player Afonso Sousa got a yellow card, the referee misunderstood his reaction and gave him a second yellow, which led to a red card. These decisions clearly affected the game.
The referee also gave a red card to our Technical Director Nenad Bjelica after a question at the end of the match. To protect Turkish football’s reputation, we believe these decisions need urgent review. If not, our football will keep suffering. We invite the Turkish Football Federation to look into this and take quick action. — Samsunspor Football Club.”