Fenerbahce advances to Europa League Round of 16 despite racist attacks on Turkish fans
Players of Fenerbahce celebrate after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League knockout play-off football match between Anderlecht and Fenerbahce at Lotto Park in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 20, 2025. (AA Photo)
Türkiye’s Fenerbahce advanced to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 after a 2-2 draw against Belgium’s Anderlecht in the second leg of the play-off, despite racist attacks against Turkish fans at the start of the match.
Having won the first leg 3-0, Fenerbahce progressed with an aggregate score of 5-2. En-Nesyri and Yusuf Akcicek were the goalscorers for Fenerbahce.
Turkish fans suffer racist attack
The game was interrupted early in the first half due to racist behavior from spectators in the stands. In the 6th minute, following an attack on Fenerbahce fans, the referee halted the match. A stadium announcement warned that the game would be abandoned if such behavior continued.
Tension erupted in the stands after Fenerbahce’s Youssef En-Nesyri scored in the 4th minute. The announcement reiterated that if racist chants persisted, the match would be suspended.
Meanwhile, Anderlecht vs. Fenerbahce players were taken to the changing room.
According to Turkish broadcaster TRT Spor, the match was halted due to the racist attack on Fenerbahce fans. A stadium warning emphasized that “racist attacks” would not be tolerated. After a 15-minute break, the match resumed in the 7th minute, with further incidents threatening the abandonment of the game.
Fenerbahce’s early lead
Fenerbahce took the lead in the 4th minute when a defensive error by Anderlecht’s Hey allowed En-Nesyri to score into an empty net.
However, Anderlecht equalized in the 19th minute after a back-pass error by Fenerbahce’s Skriniar, which led to an easy goal for Vazquez.
In the 55th minute, Anderlecht went ahead 2-1 with a goal from Vazquez following a low cross. But Fenerbahce responded quickly in the 63rd minute when Yusuf Akcicek scored a header from a Skriniar cross, leveling the score at 2-2.
Potential opponents for Fenerbahce
Having secured their spot in the Round of 16, Fenerbahce now awaits the outcome of the upcoming draw on Friday, February 21, in Nyon, Switzerland. Turkish teams potential opponents are either Olympiakos or Rangers.
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