Foreign referee summit at the TFF: What happened at the meeting? 'The current system cannot continue' statement

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) discussed Beşiktaş's request for foreign referees to be appointed to derby matches during its board meeting held the day before yesterday. Although the topic was not among the agenda items, it left its mark on the meeting and caused disagreements, particularly between TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu and some board members.

FOREIGN REFEREE DEBATE

Following the appointment of Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to the Galatasaray - Fenerbahçe derby this season, the idea of appointing foreign referees to the remaining derbies in the Süper Lig continues to be debated in the public eye.

During this process, Beşiktaş had requested that foreign referees be appointed to the derby matches it will play, particularly against Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. Expecting a quick response from the Turkish Football Federation on this matter, Beşiktaş maintains that its request is justified.

TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu stated in his remarks at the board meeting, "We brought in a foreign referee only as a one-time occurrence," indicating that foreign referee appointments cannot be sustained under the current circumstances. However, some board members attending the meeting did not agree with Hacıosmanoğlu's view and argued that Beşiktaş's request was justified.

WHAT DO THE BOARD MEMBERS THINK?

Some TFF board members stated, "Beşiktaş's request is correct and justified," noting that the decision to appoint foreign referees to derby matches was a fair choice. The board members expressed, "We opened this door by appointing a foreign referee to a derby. It would not be fair to turn down this request now. Furthermore, we should also consider foreign referees for the remaining 5 derbies this season and for critical matches involving teams in the relegation zone."

NO DEFINITIVE DECISION MADE

No definitive decision has been made yet, but the issue of foreign referees will be brought to the table again at the next TFF board meeting. The decision the TFF will make carries great importance for Turkish football.

The other derby matches to be played this season are listed as follows:

Beşiktaş - Galatasaray (Süper Lig)

Fenerbahçe - Galatasaray (Turkish Cup)

Fenerbahçe - Trabzonspor (Süper Lig)

Fenerbahçe - Beşiktaş (Süper Lig)

Trabzonspor - Galatasaray (Süper Lig)