The match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Cup, which was scheduled for Friday at Al Awal Park Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was cancelled.
According to Turkish media, the main reason for canceling the match was the refusal of the Saudi authorities to allow the players of the two teams to appear in shirts bearing the image of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.
The Saudi authorities insisted that the match not carry any political expressions, while the two clubs were determined to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic by wearing these shirts.
Not only that, but the two teams wanted the Turkish national anthem to be played before the start of the match, which was reportedly not welcomed by the Saudi authorities.
In the end, the two teams did not reach Al-Nasr Club’s stronghold, and it was announced that the match was canceled, in addition to the two teams moving to the airport to return to Turkey.
This is not the first time that the Turkish Super Cup has been held outside the country, as it was held 4 times outside Turkey, in Germany and in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia has hosted several major events recently, including the Spanish Super Cup and the Italian Super Cup, so this problem is an unexpected surprise.
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