Shocking development for Mertens! Contract terminated after Adana Demirspor match

In the Galatasaray-Adana Demirspor match played in the 23rd week of the Trendyol Super League, Adana Demirspor decided to walk off the pitch following a penalty incident involving Dries Mertens. While this event caused a great stir around the world, it emerged that a world-famous brand canceled an advertising deal it planned to carry out with the Belgian footballer. Here are the details...

The decision of the visiting team, Adana Demirspor, to walk off the pitch in the 34th minute of the Galatasaray-Adana Demirspor match played on February 9, 2025, found a wide echo not only in Turkey but all over the world.

MERTENS CITED AS THE REASON

Murat Sancak, the president of the blue-navy-white club, stated that the main reason for their team's decision to withdraw was the penalty awarded after Galatasaray's Dries Mertens fell in the penalty area in the 11th minute of the match. 

Sancak said, "The person responsible for this evening is Mertens," adding, "Galatasaray does not need this penalty. A player like Mertens should not throw himself to the ground to get a penalty."

PENALTY FOR ADANA DEMIRSPOR!

Following this withdrawal decision, which remained at the top of the football agenda for days, the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) handed Adana Demirspor a 3-0 forfeit defeat and a 3-point deduction, while club president Murat Sancak was given a 30-day ban from football-related activities and a 500 thousand TL fine.

In this match, which left its mark on the history of Turkish football, it was not only the Mediterranean club and its president Sancak who lost. It turned out that Dries Mertens, the protagonist of the penalty incident that Adana Demirspor objected to, also suffered a significant financial loss. According to the information obtained, Unilever, one of the world's leading companies in the field of cleaning products and food, had made a deal with the Belgian footballer for 50 thousand dollars in exchange for his participation in an opening ceremony.

ADVERTISING DEAL ALSO CANCELED

The company was planning to make other advertising deals in the future with Mertens, who is one of the favorite players of the yellow-red fans. However, that penalty incident, which Adana Demirspor cited as the 'reason for walking off the pitch' against Galatasaray, caused Unilever to cancel its agreement with Mertens. Taking into account the reactions on social media after the match, company officials decided not to cooperate with the Belgian footballer.

News Source: 12punto