Adana Demirspor chairman Bedirhan Durak announced his resignation on Monday morning, a day after the Turkish side walked off the pitch in protest during their Super Lig clash against Galatasaray.
“I now sadly see that we have reached a deadlock. For the sake of my club, my family, my loved ones, and my health, I hereby announce my resignation from the presidency,” Durak said in a statement.
The resignation follows Adana Demirspor’s decision to walk off the pitch 30 minutes into their Super Lig match at Galatasaray on Saturday night as they trailed 1-0 to a penalty. The game was later abandoned.
The decision to walk off was taken to protest against Turkey’s referees committee and football federation, several club officials said.
Bottom side Adana Demirspor were losing to a 12th-minute spot kick by Galatasaray’s Spanish striker Álvaro Morata.
Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk said in an interview after the visitors had walked off the field that the penalty could have been an incorrect decision.
In the aftermath of the incident, Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilıcalı has called for the “most famous and best referees in the world” to officiate the league derby at Galatasaray scheduled for Feb. 23.
“We definitely hope that there will be a foreign referee in the derby, but the federation will decide … Our federation has such power,” Ilıcalı said.
“They can bring one of the best referees in the world here. I am calling out to Galatasaray Club on behalf of Fenerbahçe Club: We followed your statements on the foreign referee issue. Let them apply on this issue, let us apply as well. And we want this derby to be managed by the most famous and best referees in the world.”