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FIFA considers Turkey 2010 World Cup ban
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-18 00:31
Some of the violence was caught by television cameras.
Swiss players run into the dressing room after
their World Cup 2006 European zone, second leg play-off qualifying soccer
match against Turkey at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, November
16, 2005. [Reuters] | Swiss player Benjamin
Huggel is seen Turkish trainer Mehmet Ozdilek in the back of the legs as the two
teams left the field. Turkey's Alpay Ozalan tried to kick Huggel in retaliation
but instead made contact with another Swiss player in front of
him.
Huggel then grabbed Alpay around the neck and fell to the ground,
with other players, coaches and security guards piling on. Huggel then grabbed
Alpay around the neck and fell to the ground, with other players, coaches and
security guards piling on.
"It was unbelievable," said Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky on the Web site of
his German club, Hamburger SV. "Turkish players and security guards started
hitting us. I was hit on the head and the back."
But he said Hamit and Halil Altintop, Turkish brothers who also play in
Germany, came to his rescue and protected him from their teammates until he got
to the dressing room.
Blatter said FIFA would consider a range of severe sanctions against Turkey.
"Anything can happen — from nothing at all to the suspension of the Turkish
federation or even a ban on participation in the next World Cup," he told a
Swiss radio interviewer earlier.
Turkish soccer officials accused Blatter of being biased.
"Blatter's comments were extremely unfortunate," federation vice president
Sekip Mosturoglu said. "This was not a one-sided event."
Blatter said FIFA would await the report from the match officials in
Istanbul.
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