Turkey to fight punishments

Turkey are set to take on the most powerful man in world football to fight the severe punishments imposed for the violent clashes after November’s World Cup play-off defeat against Switzerland.

FIFA have ordered Turkey to play their next six competitive matches behind closed doors and on neutral grounds, and taken action against several players and officials.

But Turkey’s sports minister Mehmet Ali Sahin claims the disciplinary committee were simply abiding by FIFA’s Swiss president Sepp Blatter’s wishes.

Sahin said: “I find this decision unacceptable. This is simply the approval of what Sepp Blatter said right after the game without even looking at the observer and referee reports on the game.

“That’s why I think this decision is more political than sporting.

“The punishment was given at the time Sepp Blatter made that speech. We will take the matter wherever necessary. I hope they correct it.”

The day after the match, Blatter accused Turkey of forcing Switzerland to “steal from the pitch like thieves” rather than be allowed to celebrate their triumph of reaching the World Cup finals.

“Fair play was trodden underfoot in Istanbul. We will take severe measures,” said Blatter.

Violence erupted after the final whistle as players and officials were involved in a mass brawl on the pitch and in the tunnel.

Swiss player Benjamin Huggel was filmed kicking out at Turkey assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek. The violence continued in the tunnel and Swiss defender Stephane Grichting was taken to hospital and needed a catheter inserted after being kicked in the stomach.

FIFA’s punishments included six-match bans for Newcastle midfielder Emre and former Aston Villa defender Alpay, now at Cologne, and Huggel; Turkey assistant coach Ozdilek banned from all football-related activity for a year; two-match bans for Turkish player Serkan Balci and Swiss physio Stephan Meyer.

The Turkish Football Federation and those players given six-match bans can appeal against the punishments and go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne as a last resort.

However, UEFA vice-president Senes Erzik – honorary president of the TFF - believes they could have been banned from the next World Cup.

He said: “Looking at this decision, it looks like we were close to being banned from competitions.

“There are two dimensions to this event – the players and the TFF.

“But, we cannot separate them here. The players are our players and the game was played in our country.

“It does not matter how provocative they were, you have to take the necessary security measurements as the host.

“The attacker of the injured Swiss player could not be identified. This proves that there were not enough security measurements taken. I believe we were penalised because of the security.”