The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh has been postponed over what the clubs described as "some problems" in the event's organisation.
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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 Friday evening kick-off.
Turkish media said Saudi officials had rejected this demand, though it was not clear why, and 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.
The match 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 clubs and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said in a joint statement, issued on social medial platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
It was not clear where or when the final would be staged. The statement also thanked Saudi Arabia's football federation and authorities for the efforts they made to organise the event.
There has also been media reports Turkey's national anthem and flag would not be allowed at the final but the TFF earlier said it would feature.
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.
The cancellation of the final added to what has been a controversy-filled month for Turkish soccer.
The president of top-tier club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on December 12 for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match. The TFF imposed a permanent ban on Koca and also sanctioned Ankaragucu.
The Turkish league was temporarily suspended due to the violence and when it resumed Istanbulspor walked off the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision in a Super Lig game against Trabzonspor. The game was then abandoned.
Saudi state TV said on Friday, citing a statement by organisers the Riyadh Season, the cancellation of the Cup final was a result of the teams not adhering to match regulations.
"We were looking forward to holding the match on time in accordance with the international soccer rules and regulations that require the sport to be presented without any slogans outside its scope, especially since this was discussed with the Turkish (Football) Federation in the framework of the preparatory meetings for the match," the statement said.
"Despite this agreement, it was unfortunate that the two teams did not adhere to what had been agreed upon, which led to the match not being held," it added.
Australian Associated Press
