The first show of the Turkish Super Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was canceled on Friday shortly before the start of the match. As reported by state media, Istanbul's rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce refused to play in the match. The reason is said to be that the Saudi authorities prevented the teams from carrying banners or posters bearing the image of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
In a joint statement from the Turkish Football Federation and the two clubs, “organisational disturbances” were cited as the reason for the short-term cancellation. The match between defending champions Galatasaray and Fenerbahce will now be postponed to a later date due to our joint decision. We would like to thank the Football Association and the relevant institutions and organizations in the host country for the efforts they made to organize the Super Cup. State broadcaster TRT Spor reported that both teams would return home that evening.
Fenerbahce reportedly insisted that its players carry a banner reading “Peace at Home, Peace in the World” by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce fans, among others, had previously protested the Turkish Football Federation's decision to host the final in Riyadh. They had argued that the Istanbul derby should have been held in Turkey because this year marks the centenary of the founding of the modern republic. However, the clubs and the federation explained in their joint statement that the centenary of the founding of the republic and the federation was the reason behind playing the game abroad in order to increase the brand value of Turkish football and the clubs.
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