Kerem's Referee Rebellion: "Things Are Getting Sickening"

The aftermath of the week 4 Super League derby, where Fenerbahçe lost 2-1 at home to eternal rivals Beşiktaş, continues to resonate. Following the match, Fenerbahçe's star player Kerem Aktürkoğlu directed harsh criticisms at the referee, Halil Umut Meler. Protesting the lack of justice over a denied penalty appeal, the national player stated that refereeing mistakes have exhausted their patience. Speaking to the broadcaster, Kerem expressed his reaction: "I am fed up today. Let this change however it has to. Not just ours, nobody's rights should be violated. There should be fair football. Decisions must be made under equal conditions for everyone. There is nothing fair going on. You can win even when you play badly, but a stop must be put to some things now."

Continuing his words by directly addressing his penalty appeal, the successful footballer said, "All of Turkey saw my penalty position. The referee himself said he didn't see it. Some things have started to be interpreted differently against us. Things are getting sickening. We might play badly; that is our own internal issue. But a referee's job is to give what he sees. He says, 'I didn't see it, there was a man in front of me.' Maybe we would have made the score 2-2 there. In the Gençlerbirliği match, two of our penalties were not given either. When will this end? My hope breaks more and more every week. It's a shame we talk about the referee every week."

Image: SÖZCÜ