Hatayspor club withdrew from the Turkish league after many members went missing in the earthquake.
Turkish Club Federation President Ali Koc said that Hatayspor club had withdrawn from the Super Lig tournament after the terrible earthquake that hit the country this past week.
According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, Hatayspor’s sporting director Taner Savut is still missing or lying under the rubble.
Additionally, Hatayspor runner Christian Atsu is still missing, although the club’s vice president said earlier this week that he had been rescued from the wreckage and taken to hospital. Atsu was originally on the list of victims removed from the scene. However, when the Hatayspor club sent someone to the hospital, they could not find the player.
” Hatayspor Club has sent us a letter informing us that they will not be playing this season’s matches. If Gaziantep FK also wants to withdraw from the tournament, we plan to continue with 17 teams, provided that the rights of these two clubs remain intact. “, said Mr. Koc at a press conference with Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president Mehmet Buyukeksi.
Gaziantep province is located near the epicenter of the earthquake and was badly affected. Hatayspor club is 14th in the ranking of the top leagues of Turkey while Gaziantep is 10th. The Turkish National Championship (Super Lig) cannot return at this time. It is expected that football can only be resumed in Turkey on March 3.
As of February 9, the death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 19,000. In it, the TFF confirmed that a number of players and coaches were killed.