Turkish club defend ex-president after jail sentence for referee assault

Turkish football club Ankaragucu have protested against their former president, Faruk Koca being sentenced to more than three years in prison for assaulting a referee last year, claiming the verdict was influenced by “misleading public perception”.

In a statement following the Ankara court’s decision on Monday, Ankaragucu Chairman Ismail Mert Firat said it was “impossible to interpret the sentence with good intentions”. He said there was “no disgraceful crime” and accused the court of succumbing to biased public opinion.