Galatasaray-Adana Demirspor match sparks controversy as Danish VAR backs penalty decision

Contrary to public claims, referee Oguzhan Cakir was not invited to review the controversial penalty decision in the Galatasaray-Adana Demirspor match.

According to reports from Daily Hurriyet in Türkiye, Danish video assistant referee (VAR) Jakob Sundberg confirmed the call as correct and instructed Cakir to proceed with the penalty.

What happened in those 18 minutes?

Following the penalty award in favor of Galatasaray, Adana Demirspor staged a dramatic walk-off, arguing that the decision was biased. The visiting side insisted that the incident did not warrant a penalty and that Dries Mertens should have been booked instead. Many football analysts and former referees echoed this sentiment, asserting that the call was incorrect.

With attention shifting to the referee team, questions arose:

1. Did Oguzhan Cakir insist on the penalty despite Sundberg’s alleged warnings?
2. Or did Sundberg validate the decision and advise the referee to continue?

VAR records reveal the truth

According to reports from Daily Hurriyet in Türkiye, Jakob Sundberg quickly assessed the footage and told Cakir: “The defender’s foot makes contact with the attacking player’s foot. The penalty decision is correct. Continue.”

With this confirmation, Cakir proceeded with the penalty, and Galatasaray‘s Alvaro Morata converted it, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

Referee not asked to review the decision

Dispelling rumors, sources confirm that Cakir was never called to the monitor by Sundberg. Instead, the VAR official explicitly informed him that the penalty was a valid decision and should be executed.

VAR in best position to judge

Given Cakir’s positioning, there was a 50-50 probability that his initial call was correct. However, experts emphasized that Sundberg, the VAR official with access to multiple camera angles, was in the best position to make the final judgment.

His decisive stance ultimately upheld the controversial penalty, leading to Adana Demirspor’s protests and temporary withdrawal from the match.