Besiktas calls for fairness as TFF discusses referee appointment for Galatasaray derby

Ahead of the Besiktas-Galatasaray derby, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) board will meet to discuss the possibility of appointing a foreign referee.

TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu and Central Refereeing Committee (MHK) President Ferhat Gundogdu are known to support the use of local referees.

However, Besiktas has issued a statement in response to claims that a foreign referee will not be assigned, emphasizing the need for fairness.

Besiktas’ statement

In their statement, Besiktas stressed that they would not accept any decisions that undermine fairness, stating: “Do not endorse injustice. No one should underestimate the Besiktas community!”

The club also expressed concerns over potential double standards in the TFF’s decisions. Besiktas pointed out that if a foreign referee was appointed for the Galatasaray-Fenerbahce derby, this decision should be applied to all critical matches to ensure fairness.

TFF’s position

The TFF board will discuss whether to appoint a foreign referee for the Besiktas-Galatasaray derby in their upcoming meeting. While TFF President Haciosmanoglu and MHK President Gundogdu are reportedly in favor of a local referee, some members of the federation believe that the same decision made for the Galatasaray-Fenerbahce match should apply to the Besiktas-Galatasaray derby as well.

Besiktas’ call for consistency

Besiktas reiterated the need for consistency in the TFF’s decisions. In their statement, they said: “Besiktas Gymnastics Club, which consistently advocates for justice and equality in Turkish football, has received information that the TFF is planning not to assign a foreign referee for the Besiktas-Galatasaray derby. If these claims are true, the federation would be endorsing a double standard and undermining fairness in football.”

The Besiktas-Galatasaray derby is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m.