Leonardo Bonucci’s Fenerbahce have sensationally boycotted the Turkish Supercup Final with Galatasaray, first fielding their youth team, then leaving the pitch.
The Italy international moved to Fenerbahce in January and has made eight competitive appearances for the club, contributing one assist.
He was out injured for the chaotic 3-2 win away to Trabzonspor on March 17, which ended with local fans storming the pitch and players having to physically defend themselves.
It was the latest in a long series of crowd problems in the Turkish Super Lig and Fenerbahce were furious both at the lack of security for this occasion, and the reaction of the authorities afterwards.
All of that, and the refusal to reschedule the Turkish Supercup Final ahead of the Europa Conference League quarter-final with Olympiacos, or to play this game with a foreign referee, all came together to form tonight’s bizarre scenes.
"Sizinle gurur duyuyoruz. Bu düzene dur deme zamanı gelmiştir."
Şampiyon olmak mümkün, FENERBAHÇE olmak imkansız…
İslam Çupi pic.twitter.com/YTofUj0471— Mahmuslu (@mahmuslu) April 7, 2024
Fenerbahçe'nin sahadan çekildiği an pic.twitter.com/whqXnl7eIY
— Fanatik (@fanatikcomtr) April 7, 2024
Fenerbahce effectively boycotted the showdown with their old rivals Galatasaray, first by fielding their Under-19 team, then by walking off the pitch at the third minute, after Mauro Icardi had opened the scoring.
This Supercup had already been postponed from the original plan on December 29 in Riyadh because of a diplomatic incident, as the Saudi Arabian hosts refused to let the fans or players bring on banners showing the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Galatasaray decided to at least give the fans something after they bought tickets and started playing against their own reserve team.
🦁 Galatasaraylı futbolcuların sevinci! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/BxlNIdL5Dy
— A Spor (@aspor) April 7, 2024