Turkish football legend accuses referee of ‘making up’ past officiating decisions

Legendary Turkish football figure Sergen Yalcin, speaking after the Galatasaray-Goztepe match at Rams Park, made explosive claims about referee Abdulkadir Bitigen.

The former Besiktas and Antalyaspor coach alleges that Bitigen admitted to “making up” for officiating decisions in a previous match.

Why it matters

Referee controversies are a recurring hot topic in Turkish football, often fueling debates about the integrity of match officials.

Sergen Yalcin’s allegations bring fresh attention to referee behavior and transparency, potentially raising concerns about fairness and credibility in high-stakes matches.

Details

• Sergen’s claim:
  • Yalcin recalled a match from his time at Antalyaspor, during which his team lost 2-1 to Galatasaray under the officiating of Abdulkadir Bitigen.
  • Allegedly, Bitigen told him in a subsequent match, “We made up for the Galatasaray game.”
• Context:
  • Sergen Yalcin suggested that Bitigen’s officiating in another Antalyaspor fixture was meant to compensate for prior mistakes.

Zoom in

Referee Abdulkadir Bitigen officiated Antalyaspor’s home game against Hatayspor a few weeks after the controversial Galatasaray encounter.

Yalcin implies that this was where the so-called “compensation” occurred, although the specifics remain open to interpretation.

Zoom out referee debate

Turkish football has a longstanding history of heated discussions over refereeing. Allegations of “make-up calls” or partiality only heighten tension between clubs and officials.

As questions linger about officiating standards and transparency, fans and clubs may push for more robust reforms in Türkiye’s football governance structures.