Atatürk row scuttles Turkish Super Cup football final in Riyadh

The Turkish Super Cup football final to be played in Saudi Arabia on Friday was canceled after a dispute with Saudi authorities over the players’ shirts, according to media reports.

The match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe was scheduled for Friday evening in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, but it had to be postponed over what the clubs described as “some problems” in the event’s organization, according to the reports.

Habertürk television and other media said the Fenerbahce and Galatasaray players wanted to wear T-shirts featuring the image of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, during the prematch warm-up, but were not authorized to do so by Saudi organizers, according to the Associated Press.

The players insisted on the T-shirts because 2023 marks the centennial of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic by Atatürk, according to the reports. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe earlier pressed for the game to be played on home soil rather than Saudi Arabia.

A joint statement by the Turkish Football Federation and the clubs said the final “was postponed to a later date,” citing “organizational disruptions.” They thanked Saudi Arabia for its efforts in organizing the game. Saudi Arabia has moved in recent years to stage international games and tournaments and is set to host the Spanish and Italian Super Cups in January.

It was not clear where or when the Turkish Super Cup final would be held.