Sivasspor Manager Bülent Uygun apologizes to the referee community

In a statement on the club's website, Uygun noted that they always want to see their fans by their side, stating that their enthusiasm and energy are always a great source of motivation for the players fighting on the pitch.

Stating that the behavior displayed by some fans targeting the players during the 3rd week of the league was wrong, Uygun said, "Football is a long marathon; there can be ups and downs from time to time. During this process, our belief in and support for our team is very important. Our players need the positive energy coming from the stands to perform at their best."

Emphasizing that as the Sivasspor community, they always act in unity and solidarity, Uygun stated, "We have achieved great success with this team. While moving forward on this path, we must not forget that it is not negative reactions, but constructive criticism and supportive attitudes that will carry us further. I would like to remind you that the league is a long process and that we must continue our journey by sharing every moment together without losing our faith in our team. I will not sacrifice my player just because a few fans want me to. I expect patience and support from the 'Yiğidos' (Sivasspor fans) who love their city and their team. I am a coach who will win this success and fight for it."

Expressing that the referee of the Eyüpspor match, Zorbay Küçük, managed the game far below the expected performance with the decisions he made, Uygun noted the following:

"Because of this, he disrupted our game and the psychology of our fans. In the position where we expected a penalty, when I told the 4th official, 'Coach, I saw on the monitor in front of us that it was a penalty, it is an obvious penalty,' he told me that 'VAR is being reviewed.' After that, the VAR referee said that there was contact with the foot after the ball was kicked and that the position was blurry. Referee colleagues can make wrong decisions on the pitch, but I do not think that the referee in the VAR room has the right to see or interpret things wrongly."

I have fought for their social rights by proposing that referees be professional and by voicing their problems every time. The expectation of all sports fans on behalf of Turkish football is for referees to manage matches with fairness and not to influence the fate of the teams. Although I have stated every time that they should be fair, some segments, especially from the former referee community on social media, pulling the words I uttered out of anger to other places is completely malicious. Therefore, I apologize to our referee community for this incident that caused us to be misunderstood."

News Source: AA