Turkish Super Cup Final In Riyadh Postponed Amid Row
RIYADH: The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Friday was postponed over what the clubs described as "some problems" in the event's organisation.
At the heart of those issues, according to media reports, was the wish of the two Istanbul teams to wear t-shirts featuring the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during the warm-up ahead of the evening kick-off. Turkish media said Saudi officials had rejected this demand, though it was not clear why, and that the clubs refused to play in the Super Cup final at the King Saud University venue, which is also known as Al-Awwal Park stadium, as a result.
Saudi state TV cited a statement by organisers the Riyadh Season saying the cancellation of the final was the result of the teams not adhering to match regulations.
The scheduled final coincides with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the secular Turkish Republic. There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials.
"The 2023 Super Cup ... has been postponed to a later date as a result of a joint decision we made with our clubs, due to some problems in its organisation," the two teams and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on X.
It was not clear where or when the final would be staged. The joint statement thanked Saudi Arabia's football federation and authorities for efforts they made to organise the event. There had also been media reports that Turkey's national anthem and flag would not be allowed at the final but the TFF earlier said they would feature.
Turkey's soccer teams received warm welcome on their return to Istanbul after the Super Cup final was postponed, Turkish media reported on Saturday.
The incident came amid a recent warming of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in July amid efforts to repair ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018.