A Regional Amateur League match in Türkiye descended into extraordinary chaos Saturday when a halftime brawl between Murgul Belediyespor and Rize Atletik Sports Club triggered 24 red cards and forced the referee to abandon the game, turning a routine league fixture in Artvin’s Murgul district into one of the most shocking scenes of the 2025-26 season.
What began as a tense but manageable first half – capped by Rize Atletik’s 35th-minute opener from Enes Türüt – erupted into full-scale violence the moment the halftime whistle blew.
Players from both sides converged near midfield and quickly escalated a verbal exchange into a sprawling fight that sprawled across the pitch.
Videos shared online showed punches, kicks and grappling as nearly every player became involved, with some sprawled on the turf as coaches and staff shouted in vain.
Security forces and local police rushed onto the field, forming lines to separate players while the stadium announcer pleaded with the small crowd not to enter the pitch.
Fans obeyed, sparing the district’s modest ground a wider confrontation, but the sight of riot-police helmets on an amateur field in a town of 6,000 was jarring even by the BAL’s occasionally turbulent standards.
The referee, facing an uncontrollable melee, issued 24 red cards – 12 to each team – wiping out nearly the entire roster on both sides and leaving the match unable to continue.
The Turkish Football Federation later confirmed the match was suspended and will be replayed pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation.
The incident is an embarrassing flashpoint in a league that has struggled with discipline issues in recent years.
Murgul Belediyespor, coached by Izmit-born Fatih Kurtoğlu, competes in the 10th Group of the Regional Amateur League, where local rivalries are intense and promotion to the TFF 3. Lig fuels pressure on players and officials.
Rize Atletik, a club with deep community roots in the neighboring province, now faces a reputational bruise just months into the campaign.
No serious injuries were reported, though several players were treated for cuts and bruises.
Kurtoğlu called the incident “a dark day for amateur football,” saying accumulated frustrations and a tense season contributed to the eruption. Rize Atletik has yet to issue a formal statement.
Footage of the fight spread rapidly on social media, drawing widespread condemnation and reigniting debates over officiating shortages, inadequate security and rising tensions in Türkiye’s lower-tier football landscape.
The TFF has already been preparing reforms – including limited VAR trials beginning in January 2026 – but Saturday’s chaos is likely to intensify scrutiny of the amateur system.
With Murgul sitting mid-table on 12 points and Rize Atletik pushing toward the top of the group with 18, the match carried stakes but nothing that justified the spectacle witnessed.
Sanctions are expected by Nov. 20 and could include heavy fines, point deductions or stadium closures – penalties that may reshape the group standings as the season continues.
