Adana Demirspor withdraws mid-match against Galatasaray in Turkish Super Lig
Adana Demirspor withdraws from the field in the Turkish Super Lig week 23 match between Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor at RAMS Park, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Feb. 09, 2025. (AA Photo)
In a highly anticipated Turkish Super Lig clash, Adana Demirspor made a dramatic decision to withdraw from their match against league leaders Galatasaray during the 23rd-week fixture at RAMS Park in Istanbul.
Galatasaray took an early lead in the 12th minute with a penalty converted by Alvaro Morata. As Galatasaray dominated the match, the rival team’s Yusuf Barasi suffered an off-the-ball injury in the 30th minute.
Following Barasi’s injury, Adana Demirspor players and coach Mustafa Alper Avci engaged in a discussion.
Shortly after, both the Adana Demirspor players and the officiating team left the field, leading to an abrupt suspension of the match.
Shortly thereafter, Galatasaray’s players followed suit.
Adana Demirspor: ‘Not a stance against Galatasaray’
Approximately 25 minutes later, an announcement in the stadium confirmed: “The match has been abandoned by the referee due to Demirspor’s withdrawing from the game.”
During the pause, Galatasaray’s substitute players carried out conditioning drills, while the starting 11 toured the stadium, celebrating with fans.
Adana Demirspor’s former president, Metin Korkmaz, explained the team’s decision outside the stadium. He clarified that the withdrawal was in protest of the controversial penalty decision against his team, not a stance against Galatasaray. “This is a protest against the Refereeing Committee, not Galatasaray,” Korkmaz said.
He added that club president Murat Sancak would provide further details on the matter.
What happened?
Adana Demirspor players walked off the pitch during the first half of their away match against Galatasaray on Sunday after the referee awarded a penalty against them.
The incident occurred in the 30th minute, following a penalty converted by Alvaro Morata, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 lead. The Adana Demirspor players stormed off the field in protest. After the walk-off, the referee’s team went to speak with the players in the dressing room. The exchange led to the announcement that the match at Rams Park stadium had been abandoned.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the bottom-of-the-table Adana Demirspor players walked off in protest over “referee corruption.”
