Penalty decision in Fenerbahçe - Hatayspor match leads to resignation: Assistant referee Kemal Yılmaz bids farewell to refereeing

Assistant referee Kemal Yılmaz, who has served in the Süper Lig, has ended his 27-year refereeing career.

Yılmaz, who most recently officiated in the Fenerbahçe – Hatayspor match, advised the head referee to award a penalty for the incident involving Edin Dzeko, who went down in the penalty area in the 25th minute of the game.

Head referee Volkan Bayarslan accepted the advice of his assistant Kemal Yılmaz and awarded a penalty. However, the referee's decision was later overturned by VAR due to an offside ruling.

Announcing his resignation, Kemal Yılmaz stated, "I must happily note that the football public supports the accuracy of the decision we made on the pitch." He announced that he was ending his career because the Central Referee Board (MHK) did not assign him to any matches despite this.

Here is Kemal Yılmaz's statement:

"To the Esteemed Football Public

For 27 years, I have served as an assistant referee on the 'green pitches' with great responsibility, passion, and honor...

Following the developments during and after the last football match I officiated, I feel the need to make a statement to the football public out of necessity.

As is closely known, in the Fenerbahçe A.Ş. – Atakaş Hatayspor match, acting in accordance with the instructions given to us, I provided assistance/a warning to the head referee for a penalty in a position he could not see, and the head referee evaluated this positively and made a penalty decision.

The events that occurred after the penalty decision and the comments and evaluations it caused are within the knowledge of the football public. I must happily note that the football public supports the accuracy of the decision we made on the pitch.

The 'grades' given by the observers after the match and reported to the MHK also show that the position was evaluated correctly and reflected in the decision, and these grades were high.

In light of these developments and in accordance with standard practices, while it was extremely natural for me to expect an assignment for the matches to be played this week; unfortunately, this did not happen.

Of course, making referee assignments is at the discretion of the Central Referee Boards. However, the fact that this decision came immediately after a match that caused controversy but where it was generally accepted that the correct decision was made, created the impression in me that the position was evaluated as 'wrong' by the Central Referee Board. This behavior is a known fact by the entire referee community.

I evaluate this practice not only as an injustice against me and an inconsistency and contradiction against referee assignment criteria; but also as an approach that hinders or complicates the processes of all referees to make free, impartial, and fair decisions on the pitch within the regulations.

For the reasons I have stated, I am ending my active refereeing career, which I have pursued with great love, effort, and passion for 27 years, as of today.

It is clear that I will make a more detailed statement in the coming days if necessary.

Hoping that our paths will cross again in the future; I would like to thank all the stakeholders of the football public with whom I have interacted until today for the values they added to me, the beautiful feelings they made me experience, and the great honor they gave me, and I wish success to all my fellow referees who are working under great pressure."