Amed SK are currently top of the Turkish Super Lig, a point ahead of the reigning champions Galatasaray, after they secured a 2-1 victory over Samsunspor.

This defeat left Samsunspor in the relegation zone after nine fixtures, as they have only collected four points; however, they may have felt hard done by following a bizarre red card decision.

Now the Turkish club have issued a furious 172-word statement addressing the standard of refereeing, not just in the match, but in the league.

Samsunspor’s bizarre red card

In the 37th minute of the match, Afonso Sousa received a yellow card for a challenge for his challenge on an Amed SK player.

There appears to be little to no fury over this decision by the referee, as the challenge was late and the Portuguese player could have no complaints.

It is what happened immediately following this decision that has led to the fury among Samsunspor.

Sousa would then clap towards the direction of his opponent, indicating that he may have believed that he made the most of the challenge to earn him a booking.

However, the referee did not take kindly to the clapping, believing that it was directed towards him, and so he sent Sousa off immediately.

It was a costly decision for Samsunspor as they would go on to lose 2-1, leaving the club in the relegation zone.

Samsunspor’s 172-word statement

Following the loss and this decision by the referee, Samsuspor would release a strongly worded statement, demanding that the quality of refereeing improve and that this incident be reviewed in the belief it should be swiftly overturned.

The Turkish club said: “ A dark night for football took place last night.

“Despite our calls for clean, fair, and equitable football, we continue to face controversial referee decisions in matches.

“What happened in the 9th week Super League match we played on our home ground last night is well known to the public.

“In the 37th minute of the match, our player Afonso Sousa was punished with a yellow card following a challenge with an opponent. While the nature of the incident and the accuracy of the decision are open to debate, the subsequent communication between our player and the opponent was interpreted by the referee as a reaction directed at him, resulting in a second yellow card and our player being sent off with a red card. It is clear that these consecutively issued decisions directly influenced the course of the match.

“The match referee was unable to handle the weight of the game and responded to a question directed at him by our Technical Director Nenad Bjelica with a red card at the end of the match.

“In order to protect the reputation of Turkish football and restore the sense of justice, we believe that such decisions and those who make them must be urgently evaluated by the relevant boards. Otherwise, Turkish football, which is a common value of our country, will continue to suffer harm.

“We invite the Turkish Football Federation and its relevant boards to conduct the necessary examinations in response to the events that occurred and to take the required steps without delay.

“Samsunspor Football Club.”