Galatasaray took a giant leap towards defending their Turkish Super Lig title against Besiktas, but it wasn’t without controversy.
A Victor Osimhen winner decided the match 1-0 in a fiery Istanbul derby that gave Gala a seven point lead over Fenerbahce who have a game in hand.
Osimhen‘s goal came in the 39th minute, but Gala should really have been down to 10-men.
Leroy Sane crashed into BJK’s Kristjan Asllani in the 28th minute, buckling his ankle in a potentially leg-breaking challenge.
Thankfully, Asllani was able to continue, but much to the host’s shock, so was Sane.
The Germany international only received a yellow card for the act, and despite later getting his red for another very poor challenge after the hour mark, the three points were gone.
What has left Besiktas baffled, though, is that the matter wasn’t referred to the referee by the Portuguese VAR team.
Posting after midnight, BJK demanded answers from the Turkish Football Federation.
Besiktas’ statement
They wrote: “We urgently request that the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) answer the following questions regarding the events that took place in the VAR center in Riva during our match against Galatasaray in the Trendyol Super League.
“Who was present in and around the VAR center? Were there cameras recording the VAR room and the corridor where it is located?
“Were the Portuguese VAR instructors present in the VAR room during the match? If so, were they involved in the decision-making process?
“Do the Portuguese instructors, who are said to be working under the title of instructor, have any duties within the federation that would require their presence there during the match?
“Were there any individuals inside or in the corridor of the VAR center who should not have been there during the match?
“It is essential that the TFF management, which came into office promising transparent and fair governance, immediately answer our questions.
“As Beşiktaş JK, we request that the camera recordings of the VAR room and the corridor where it is located from our match against Galatasaray be shared with us, and we submit this request to the TFF and the public. Beşiktaş.”
There was also controversy when an already-booked Osimhen avoided a second yellow for protesting a foul and kicking the ball away.
Referring to both flash-points post-match, goalkeeper Ersin Destanoğlu said: “There was a red card situation, I watched it inside. It was an unbelievable situation.
“In Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe, they would call for it, but they didn’t. Even if the referee didn’t see it, how could VAR not call for it? I really can’t understand it.
“He should have sent the player off in the first half, but he sends him off in the second half. I don’t understand.
“The decisions made, the red card being given late, the yellow cards being overlooked. 7-8 players received yellow cards, the game became rough, it became arbitrary.
“I don’t understand, they don’t give them to others, but they give them to us.”
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