Hatayspor has withdrawn from the Super League – the top competition in Turkish football – after Monday’s devastating earthquake that hit the first team, the Turkish Union of Clubs announced.
Hatayspor’s Ghana international Christian Atsu is still missing, despite the club saying earlier this week he was pulled from the rubble with injuries and hospitalized.
However, Hatayspor coach Volkan Demirel denied that he had been saved and the club attributed the initial mistake to a problem with the identification of the player. In addition to the African player, the sports director, Taner Savut, is also missing.
“Hatayspor have sent us a letter informing us that they will not play the remaining matches this season,” club president Ali Koc, along with Turkish Football Federation head Mehmet Buyukeksi, told a news conference.
“If Gaziantep FK also wants to withdraw from the league, we plan to continue with 17 teams,” he added.
Gaziantep has until Monday to make a decision, but both the other Super League clubs and the Federation point out that the rights and participation of the withdrawing teams are guaranteed for next season.
Hatayspor is 14th in the Turkish standings, while Gaziantep is 10th. The resumption of the competition has been further postponed and is expected to resume on March 3.
Antioch, the headquarters of Hatayspor, and Gaziantep, are two of the cities hardest hit by Turkey’s earthquake, which left more than 18,500 dead in the country.
Source: El heraldo
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