The Turkish Super Cup Final match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce was called off after the two teams refused to play due to the Saudi Arabian authorities refusing permission for them to honor Turkey’s modern-day founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
A deal between the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the Saudis resulted in the match set to be held at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh.
Hours before the match was due to start, the Saudis banned the two sides from wearing t-shirts featuring the founder of Turkey, Ataturk, during their warm-up drills.
The match coincided with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the liberal Turkish republic through progressive reforms led by Ataturk.
Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur informed everyone: “We did what was necessary. We are returning to our country. No one can ignore our values.”
Galatasaray manager, Okan Buruk, added: “The match will not be played, we are returning.”
It was not immediately clear as to why the national authorities denied permission for the teams to honor Ataturk.
Such incidents cause strains in the relationship between two countries. Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are powerhouses of the Muslim world, no other Muslim-majority country would want these two to have a sour relationship.
