Turkish football authorities have handed down a record ban to Arda Turan for shoving and threatening sideline referee.
Turkey’s Professional Football Discipline Board (PFDK) has banned Istanbul Basaksehir midfielder Arda Turan for a record 16 matches for attacking the assistant referee during his club’s Turkish Super Lig clash with Sivasspor, meaning he will miss nearly half of next season.
Turan was referred to the PFDK for charges of actions against sportsmanship, insulting and threatening in the Turkish Super Lig match played against Sivasspor on May 8.
Turan was sentenced for 10 matches for attacking the assistant referee, three matches for insulting the referee after he was ejected and three matches for threatening the referee.
He was also fined 39,000 Turkish liras ($9,200 USD).
Turan’s teammate midfielder Jose Marcio da Costa (known as Mossoro) was also banned for four matches and fined TL 26,000 for attacking the referee and an opponent player.
Basaksehir, surprise contenders for the league title this season, had been leading 1-0 against Sivaspor in the heated encounter, but conceded a late equalizer which was a major blow to their championship hopes.
Seeking to launch a final attack down the wing, Turan felt the assistant referee’s decision against him was unfair and marched up to the official, remonstrating in his face and then shoving him firmly back with both hands.
Turan was then given an instant red card by the match referee and could be seen continuing to rant as he marched off the pitch.
Turan joined Basaksehir this season on loan from Barcelona, where he had largely endured an unhappy spell on the bench after joining from Atletico Madrid.
The new incident came with Turkish football facing one of its biggest crises in recent years after an Istanbul derby Turkish Cup semi-final between Fenerbahçe and Besiktas was abandoned last month due to crowd violence.
This is, unfortunately, another set back for Arda who was at one point seen as the star that would lead the Turkish national team to glory on the international stage.