Beşiktaş reacts to Orkun Kökçü decision, calling it 'contrary to law'
Beşiktaş stated that they have submitted a defense petition to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) regarding Orkun Kökçü, who received a red card in the match against Başakşehir, noting, "While it should not even have been considered a foul under normal circumstances, imposing a match suspension on our player for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' would be contrary to law and equity."
İHA
The statement made on the official website of the black-and-white club included the following:
"Our defense petition, prepared for our player Orkun Kökçü, who was sent off with a direct red card in the match our Football A Team played against Rams Başakşehir at Tüpraş Stadium on the 5th matchday of the Trendyol Super League and was referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board on September 16, 2025, on the grounds of 'unsportsmanlike conduct,' has been submitted to the attention of the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.
In our defense petition, it is stated in detail that when the true nature of the position—which was not even a foul—is examined, the action that led to the match referee and the VAR referee sending Orkun Kökçü off the field was not only not an act of unsportsmanlike conduct, but not even a foul committed by Orkun Kökçü; that Orkun Kökçü's foot remained under the body of the opposing player Festy Oseiwe Ebosele during the play, causing our player to feel deep pain and distress; and that his foot unintentionally made contact with the opposing player while he was reflexively trying to free his leg from under the opponent due to the intense pain he was experiencing. In line with the explanation provided above regarding the development of the incident, the application of provisions for unjust provocation and discretionary mitigation has been requested from the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.
We would like it to be known that while the action that caused our player Orkun Kökçü to receive a red card should not even have been considered a foul under normal circumstances, imposing a match suspension on our player for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' as a result of an action that was not a foul would be contrary to law and equity.
We leave it to the public to judge the emotions and psychology of the referees based on their tone of voice and manner of speaking in the VAR recording shared with the public regarding the incident. We respectfully inform the public that we will follow this matter legally to the end."