The southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s team will play three games behind closed doors and on neutral ground as punishment for the misbehavior of its fans, the PFDK revealed yesterday.The PFDK also imposed a TL 40,000 fine on Diyarbakırspor for failing to control its boisterous fans, while team official Samet Kaba was banned from attending matches for 30 days for swearing at Bursaspor players.
The March 6 game was cancelled in the 17th minute when Diyarbakırspor fans started throwing projectiles onto the field. A journalist covering the match was seriously injured and taken to the hospital, while one referee was hit by a stone, causing him to fall to the ground.
The atmosphere turned tense during an earlier match between Bursaspor and Diyarbakırspor held in Bursa in November as a result of protests and slogans chanted by the Bursaspor fans. The situation caused Diyarbakırspor to consider withdrawing from the Turkcell Super League. At all Diyarbakırspor matches, the slogan most frequently shouted by supporters of the rival team is “PKK out,” linking Diyarbakırspor with the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).
The Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) is expected to make a decision about the game on Tuesday. It might decide to have a rematch, or it could declare Bursaspor the 3-0 winner by default.
