Will a foreign referee officiate the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby? The man considered the world's best referee has spoken... He gave the green light
Debates over referees have already flared up ahead of the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby to be played in the 25th week of the Süper Lig. Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı requested that foreign referees also be used for center referee duties in critical matches, stating that he believes Galatasaray would be open to this idea. At the center of the discussions is the FIFA-badged Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. The Polish referee made statements regarding the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby.
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The referee debate for the match between title contenders Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe has begun weeks in advance. A statement has come from Szymon Marciniak, who has been named 'the world's best referee' twice.
The debate over foreign referees for the derby match between eternal rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, which will be played at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex Rams Park in the 25th week of the Süper Lig, has begun. Fenerbahçe Club Vice President Acun Ilıcalı stated that they want foreign referees to be selected for critical matches in the league.
''WE ARE MAKING OUR PROPOSAL''
Acun Ilıcalı said, "We are in favor of having foreign referees from this point on. I think Galatasaray would share the same view on this matter. If you notice, they also have very major complaints about the referees; they are constantly complaining. We are currently making our proposal; we want foreign referees from now on—this could be for critical matches at the moment. Derbies are a must for this."
Following the 'foreign VAR' decision taken by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in recent weeks, whether a foreign referee will officiate the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby has become a subject of curiosity.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who is considered among the best referees in the world, spoke about the derby match whose result football fans are eagerly awaiting.
GREEN LIGHT FROM MARCİNİAK
Speaking to TV100, Marciniak responded to the question, "How would you view it if an invitation came from Turkey for the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby?" by saying, "I would not want to say anything before such an invitation arrives and before such an agenda exists."
"I CAN TAKE THE DUTY''
Leaving the door open for the big match, Szymon Marciniak stated, "If there is no derby in UEFA or the Polish League and I am not assigned, of course, I can officiate the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby."
Marciniak was named the world's best referee in 2022 and 2023 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The IFFHS ranked Marciniak 7th on its list of 'the world's best referees' in 2024.