Super Lig giants, Galatasaray, have strongly condemned Turkish football authorities after a controversial penalty decision helped Fenerbahçe secure a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Rizespor, Soccernet.ng reports.
The decision left Nigerian midfielder Ibrahim Olawoyin at the centre of the storm, when Rizespor's lead was left cold when a questionable penalty call against Olawoyin turned the tide in favour of Jose Mourinho's men.
A contact by the Nigerian in box 18 was deemed enough for a spot-kick by the VAR, which Edin Džeko converted to give Fenerbahçe a lifeline.
Watch the video here:
Fenerbahçe – Rizespor maçta Fenerbahçe, bu pozisyonda penaltı kazandı. Rizespor'da Ibrahim Olawoyin, ikinci sarı kartın ardından oyundan atıldı. Tiyatro ‘ya hoşgeldiniz. pic.twitter.com/ds25oW81kl
— Hadsafhada (@kapsonunipi) February 2, 2025
Adding to Rizespor’s woes, Olawoyin was shown a second yellow card, which reduced his side to ten men. With the numerical advantage, Fenerbahçe capitalised as Džeko equalised in the 79th minute before Youssef En-Nesyri sealed the victory.
The decision which sparked outrage did not sit well with Galatasaray, who accused the Turkish Football Federation of favouritism towards Fenerbahçe.
The club which took their anger to social media blasted the use of foreign VAR officials and accused the authorities of manipulating results to aid their rivals.
The club wrote: “These thieves, who never stop talking about rights and laws but do not hesitate to resort to any means to win, continue to steal their opponents' efforts on the field.
“For them, the foreign VAR is not there to bring justice to football but to provide privileges and make unfair decisions!
“We will show once again to these bad people who saw all this disgrace and rejoiced on the field without blushing that it is not possible to become champions by violating justice.
“You will leave this country's football with your foreign VAR, your MHK President, your Federation and all the equipment you use!”
It would be recalled that a similar incident occurred in the Yellow-Red's recent clash against Konyaspor, where Victor Osimhen was heavily marked by four defenders in the box but was denied a penalty.
The club believes these decisions are part of a broader effort to ensure Fenerbahçe remains in the title race and closes the gap on the Yellow-Reds.
As it stands, Galatasaray still leads the Super Lig standings with 54 points and a game in hand, maintaining a three-point lead over Mourinho's men.
