- Mauro Icardi posted a picture with a black eye after the fiery derby on Sunday
- The striker was injured after colliding with the post during the goalless draw
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Mauro Icardi posted a picture with a black eye after the fiery derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce on Sunday, as the former blasted officiating in the match.
The Argentina striker was injured after colliding with the post during the goalless draw and his team slammed officials for not giving a penalty or a card.
‘Those who only want justice for themselves continued to manipulate Turkish football from every channel tonight!’ Icardi’s team Galatasaray said.
‘VAR room and 26 cameras cannot see and we feel ashamed on their behalf. Those who brought Turkish football to this point will be ashamed.’
Fenerbahce dismissed the claims as ’embarrassing’.
‘Trying to create victimisation through the player hitting the goal post. We leave it to the discretion of the public,’ the Super Lig table leaders said.
Edin Dzeko, captain for Fenerbahce, replied to Mauro Icardi’s black eye social media post. ‘Icardi hit the goal post with his head and they put him on Instagram and cry for the penalty… typical them. Embarassing,’ the 37-year-old said.
Icardi later posted a picture on Instagram with his wife Wanda also sporting a black eye she given herself with makeup.
As well as matching eye bruises, the couple were sporting identical pyjamas as they wished their followers all the best for the festive period, with the caption: ‘Merry Christmas to all. We wish you from Istanbul, Health Peace and much Love.’
The latest controversy comes after referee Halil Umut Meler was punched at the end of a Turkish top-flight match.
Former Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca ran on to the field and attacked Meler after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 Super Lig draw with Caykur Rizespor in Turkey.
Meler left hospital on Wednesday with a swollen eye.
‘No, I did not forgive [Koca], I will not forgive,’ he told Turkish media.
Speaking about the incident, Meler told Turkish outlet Hurriyet: ‘The person who did this punched me, I collapsed and fell to the ground. But the actual kicking while I was on the ground will be something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Koca was handed a lifetime ban by Turkey’s football federation
The Turkish football federation’s disciplinary board has also ordered Ankaragucu to play five home matches behind closed doors and fined the club 60,000 euros ($66,000).
All leagues were suspended by the TFF the aftermath and the top-flight resumed on Tuesday. But one of the three games scheduled was abandoned when Istanbulspor’s president withdrew his team from the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision in their game against Trabzonspor.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
