Arda Turan, a Barcelona loanee at Başakşehir, has been banned for a record sixteen matches in the Turkish Super League. Turan got into an argument with a linesman during a league game against Sivasspor on Friday, before shoving and ‘threatening’ the official four minutes into stoppage time. He was subsequently issued a red card by the referee.
Başakşehir are aiming to win their first league title in the four-team race with Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce. However, tempers flared as they were being held to a 1-1 draw by seventh-placed Sivasspor.
Upon review of the incident, the Turkish FA handed the former Atletico player the ban for his actions, which will rule out for half of next season, due to his two-year loan spell at the Turkish side.
Despite Turan’s conduct, his coach, Avci Abdallahi, defended him. He was quoted by Goal as saying:
“These things are part of the game. We can’t be bothered by the thoughts of those who write on social media, people that we don’t even know.
“It’s not easy when you lead the league race so long and then have a result like that. The anxiety can get to you.”
It’s not the first time Turan would get into trouble with a match official. He had one time threw his boot at a linesman while playing for Atletico Madrid in Spain.
The Turkish captain had failed to establish himself at Barcelona, following his move to the club in 2015. After fruitless two seasons, he joined Başakşehir on a two-year loan at the beginning of the current campaign.
