adminISTANBUL. — The Turkish Super Lig, which has been at the focus of controversy as it continued with its programme despite the coronavirus outbreak, has finally been postponed, until further notice, after the intervention of representatives of footballers around the world.
Zimbabwe international footballer, Teenage Hadebe, is one of the foreign-based stars in the Turkish Super Lig.
Most European nations had already called a halt to domestic competitions, but Turkey’s football authorities continued with matches behind closed doors this week.
Yesterday, world players’ union FIFPro called for the campaign in Turkey to be stopped amid the continued spread of COVID-19.
The Turkish Football Federation later confirmed the four tiers of professional football in the nation would be suspended.
A TFF statement said the leagues will be postponed to a “later date” after “the works to be carried out in line with the developing conditions”.
Former Nigerian skipper, John Obi Mikel, had his contract with Trabzonspor cancelled by mutual consent after publicly declaring he did not feel safe to keep playing.
Besiktas’ on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius also wrote on Instagram that he did “not feel comfortable and don’t want to play football in this situation.”
Europe’s top five leagues in England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, as well as the Champions League and Europa League, are among the competitions to be paused during the pandemic.
Euro 2020 and the Copa America have been pushed back to next year to make it easier for the 2019-20 club season to be completed once the suspension on games is lifted.
There have been 192 confirmed cases of the virus in Turkey, with three people having died.
Mikel insists he will not accept any offer to return to Trabzonspor.
The former Chelsea midfielder, who signed for Trabzonspor last summer, prematurely ended his deal after falling out with the club’s hierarchy over his desire to return to his family in London.
Mikel, 32, publicly criticised the Turkish Super Lig on social media on Saturday, writing that it “should be cancelled” amid the pandemic. Those words are believed to have angered the Trabzonspor board
Mikel only joined the club as a free agent last summer, having penned a two-year deal, but parted ways with the Super Lig side by mutual consent.
Turkey’s Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoglu has since suspended matches indefinitely, bowing to pressure from players and coaches after many other countries called off sports events.
Mikel has now returned to London with his family and has vowed not to return to Turkey after falling out with the club’s president.
“They were really upset about the whole thing. I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one,’’ he told The Athletic.
“He (the club president) asked me to take it down (his statement). I told him I wasn’t going to do that. It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion.
“I wanted to win the league too but at this point in time, we have to think about what is more important: to save peoples’ lives.
“I want to help in any way that I can to defeat this virus. For us to be out there playing; I don’t think we are helping the global situation. I don’t feel it is right for us to play football.
“I told them I wanted to go home. They said, ‘If you go home, you’re not coming back.’ I said, OK, I’m going home.”
Galatasaray striker Radamel Falcao offered his support to Mikel after the social media statement, saying that “life is more important than football”.
Bernard Mensah, a Ghanaian midfielder who plays for Kayserispor, also questioned why the Turkish Super Lig was still playing in a tweet on Tuesday.
“Life is the most important thing on earth . . . this is serious thing happening and they still insist to continue do they really care about us ?’’ — The Athletic/Mailonline/Sports Reporter.
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