Turkish Football Club Boss Fined for Taking Referees 'Hostage'
Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu told club officials to hold referee Cagatay Sahan and three assistants in a locked room after the Black Sea team were denied a penalty in the final minutes of a match last Wednesday against Gaziantepspor, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Turkish Football Federation has suspended and fined the boss of leading club Trabzonspor after he ordered four referees to be held captive in a dispute over a crucial line call.
Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu told club officials to hold referee Cagatay Sahan and three assistants in a locked room after the Black Sea team were denied a penalty in the final minutes of a match last Wednesday against Gaziantepspor, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
They were freed after four hours following a late-night call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and were later escorted from the stadium by police, but were pelted by angry fans with bottles and stones.
Haciosmanoglu, known for his frequent angry outbursts, has been suspended for almost 10 months and fined 200,000 lira ($70,000, 48,500 euros), the federation said in a statement on Tuesday.
Four other club executives were also suspended for more than a year and ordered to pay hefty fines for "unsporting behaviour", it said.
Trabzonspor was also ordered to play two home games without fans.
Haciosmanoglu, 49, triggered further uproar the same day when he said his club would rather "die like men than live like women".