Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu announced on Wednesday that the highly anticipated Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby in the 25th week of the Süper Lig will be officiated by a foreign referee.
Speaking at the TFF facilities in Riva, Hacıosmanoğlu stated, “A world-class referee will officiate the derby. The necessary correspondences have been made, and confirmations have been received.”
While referee assignments for the 25th week have not yet been officially announced, the identity of the foreign referee for the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe match remains unknown.
Title Race Intensifies
As of now, Galatasaray leads the league with 63 points after 23 matches, while Fenerbahçe trails their archrival by six points in second place. The outcome of this derby is expected to have a significant impact on the title race.
Referee Controversies in Turkish Football
Referee controversies have intensified in Turkish football in recent years. At the end of last season, some matches had their Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties assigned to foreign officials.
Despite the decision to discontinue the practice following a leadership change at the TFF, foreign VAR referees were reinstated for all Süper Lig matches in the second half of the current season due to ongoing disputes.
However, this move failed to quell the controversy surrounding refereeing decisions. In protest of refereeing calls, Adana Demirspor walked off the pitch during the first half of their away match against Galatasaray in the 23rd week of the league.
TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu explained that assigning a foreign referee to the derby was aimed at “preventing further disputes and ensuring that referees do not become a subject of controversy.”
Past Foreign Referee Debates
The issue of foreign referees had also surfaced before last season’s Turkish Super Cup match between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. At that time, Fenerbahçe fielded their U-19 team and left the pitch early in protest.
Galatasaray Questions TFF’s Decision
Galatasaray’s head coach, Okan Buruk, addressed the topic in a press conference ahead of their Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar, stating, “For us, the most important thing is that the referee is competent.”
He expressed hope that the referee selection process would not be predetermined, adding, “Choosing the right referee will be beneficial. I only care about the quality of the referee, not their passport or identity.”
Meanwhile, Galatasaray’s management issued a written statement accusing TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu and his administration of “inconsistency.”
The club posed three critical questions regarding the decision to appoint a foreign referee:
- – Has the mentioned referee obtained a license for the 2024-2025 season as required by the Central Refereeing Committee (MHK) regulations, paid the necessary visa fees, and submitted the required documents to the Provincial Referees Committee?
- – Was the potential foreign referee included in the list of Elite Class Referees announced on January 2, 2025?
- – Has the referee attended the mandatory training courses stipulated by MHK regulations to officiate matches?
Additionally, Galatasaray called on the TFF to “stop acting as the federation of a single club and cease creating further chaos. Do what is necessary for Turkish football.”
As of now, Fenerbahçe has not issued an official statement regarding the TFF’s decision.
Not the First Foreign Referee in Turkish Football History
The upcoming derby will not be the first instance of a foreign referee officiating a match in Turkey. According to football historian and journalist Coşkun Çelik’s book Yüzümüz Futbol, the first foreign referee to officiate in Turkish football was James La Fontaine, one of the founders of the Istanbul League in 1907.
One of the most notable incidents involving a foreign referee occurred on October 29, 1933, during the final match of the Turkish Football Championship between İzmirspor and Fenerbahçe. The match took an unexpected turn when the referee, Kemal Halim Bey, was injured in the 55th minute. Kemal Rifat Bey took over officiating duties but had to suspend the match in the 64th minute after awarding a penalty to Fenerbahçe, which led to İzmirspor fans storming the field.
Due to the controversy, both teams requested that the replayed match be officiated by a European referee. As a result, Austrian referee M. Miyes officiated the rematch held on November 10, 1933, in Alsancak.
Further historical records from Çelik’s book indicate that several other matches in Turkish football history have been officiated by foreign referees. These include:
- – Vefa vs. Emniyet – Officiated by Silvano Ermano
- – Galatasaray vs. Beykoz – Officiated by Guido
- – Fenerbahçe vs. Beşiktaş (November 27, 1949, ended in a 1-1 draw) – Officiated by Augustino Gamba
However, since the 1970-71 season, during Hasan Polat’s presidency of the TFF, the practice of appointing foreign referees was discontinued.
With the decision to assign a foreign referee for the upcoming Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby, Turkish football once again finds itself in the midst of an ongoing debate over the role and credibility of referees in the domestic league.
