Emre Belözoğlu votes in 'Photos of the Year', AA's choice of photo deemed 'significant'!

MKE Ankaragücü manager Emre Belözoğlu participated in the "Photos of the Year" voting held by Anadolu Agency (AA), which features the most talked-about photos of 2023.

Belözoğlu voted for photos in the News, Environment-Life, Sports, Gaza: Evidence, and Earthquake: Hope categories.

Voting for Özkan Bilgin's "An operation in the minus" photo in the News category, Emre Belözoğlu chose the "Witness of the Bosphorus" photo captured by İsa Terli in the Environment-Life category.

While Emre Belözoğlu praised Celtic fans in the sports category and voted for David Alaro's 'Support for Gaza' photo, a striking detail caught the eye in the images released by Anadolu Agency regarding the event.

AA released a photo of Emre Belözoğlu taken while he was examining the photos in the sports category, showing him looking at the frame where former Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler.

Many users on social media found the agency's decision to release the news with this specific photo to be 'significant'.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Following the MKE Ankaragücü – Çaykur Rizespor match, former Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca entered the pitch and attacked referee Halil Umut Meler.

Koca, who was arrested and sent to prison following the incident, was released on December 27 to be tried without arrest 15 days later.

MELER HAD ACCUSED EMRE BELÖZOĞLU

Halil Umut Meler had claimed that Emre Belözoğlu had ignited the fuse in the events that took place.

Meler had stated, "It was an unexpected situation because there was no incident that could have occurred. The only person who provoked this situation was the manager. No one else."

"I APOLOGIZED EXACTLY 4 TIMES"

Belözoğlu had said the following regarding Meler's claim:

“It is not right to portray an event that did not happen as if it did. If you watch the footage, you will understand. I apologized exactly 4 times. I apologized on the pitch and in the corridor. I was very saddened by what happened. We are human too. Everyone has a family. I stated that I apologized on my own behalf and on behalf of the team, and I apologized. Later, they told me 'he fell to the ground and kicked him'. Since I did not witness it, regarding the footage... I shouted at two or three people, saying, 'You are being shameful, are you kicking a man who has fallen to the ground, are you men?'”

News Source : AA