Fenerbahce: It’s very difficult for us to stay quiet about the unacceptable referees mistakes

Fenerbahce Beko released last night a statement to express their concerns about the referees.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as a EuroLeague A license team, has consistently given maximum importance to protecting the value of the EuroLeague brand since the 2006-2007 season. We have kept this as a guiding principle and acted upon the unity of the EuroLeague organization even after games were decided by unacceptable officiating.

What we have witnessed since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, however, has made it very difficult for us to stay quiet about the increasing number of unacceptable mistakes by the referees, which are widely recognized by basketball fans.

In our three recent games, against Panathinaikos on October 7, Real Madrid on October 21, and Barcelona on October 26 a number of highly questionable calls essentially decided the winner.

These calls were often made at very critical moments, altering the momentum and the chemistry of the game, and included unsportsmanlike fouls that were not seen before. Moreover, these calls were made in ways that clearly contradict the standards implemented by the EuroLeague referees.

We are also cognizant of the fact that, in the past, EuroLeague has acknowledged officiating errors and formally apologized to affected clubs in similar situations.

While we have kept our calm and stood with the league up to this point, it has become impossible to continue to do so after these recent events. Our club, with a storied past and substantial investment in men’s basketball, with its strong sponsors and presence as one of the most important stakeholders of Turkish basketball, is one of the most valuable partners of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and does not accept in any manner, shape or form the unfair consequences of the officiating decisions and calls.