Foul play: Twitter baffled by sacking of soccer referees following Turkish coup
The internet was left baffled after it was revealed that 94 soccer officials, including numerous referees, had been sacked from their jobs following the failed coup in Turkey.
It emerged on Tuesday that in the wake of the of the July 15 coup, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) “deemed it necessary” to dismiss the officials, which included regional and nationally-ranked referees and assistant referees, as well as regional refereeing committee members and national and regional observers.
#BREAKING Turkey fires 94 football referees, other officials after coup - federation
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 2, 2016
No further details were given as to who the people were or why they were let go. The internet was equally perplexed.
I can't possibly seem to understand what football referees got to do with the failed Coup in Turkey 😂😂
— Underwood (@ShariffKhalil) August 2, 2016
Naturally. As you do after any coup.. #Football: #Turkey fires 94 referees, other officials after coup - federation #TurkeyCoupAttempt@AFP
— Jean-Marc Mojon (@mojobaghdad) August 2, 2016
FFS Turkey, Damn sure football referees had nothing to do with the attempted coup https://t.co/8RVzOeDB9Z
— Abdullah Khan (@LahoriGooner) August 2, 2016
@AFP Wow! What have football referees and officials got to do with the coup? Guess the coup i being 'used' to 'cleanse' the 'system.' Crazy!
— SIDAARRTH SHINDE (@sidaarrthshinde) August 2, 2016
Many found plenty of scope to poke fun at the decision, with one man joking that he “heard they were whistleblowers.”
@AFP but I'd heard they were the whistleblowers?
— Classroom Blue (@ClassroomBlue) August 2, 2016
@AFP now they're just taking the piss
— fcb (@don___andres) August 2, 2016
@AFP@zerohedge Next to be fired will be footballers!! Gardeners!! Cooks!! Funny Turkey!
— Francis Chishimba (@cfchishimba) August 2, 2016
@AFP Probably a translation problem, like, somebody said they were involved in the CUP, and it was misread as COUP. 😜
— P. J. (@pjeckenheim) August 2, 2016
Others have questioned if the decision taken by the football authorities will result in Turkey being banned from any football federations.
@AFP Could this lead to Turkey's suspension from @UEFA & or @FIFAcom?
— Joe O'Brien (@GaillimhJoe) August 2, 2016
@JammanKhattak yup saw this coming.. surely Fifa will say government interference and threaten ban of something
— FootballPakistan.com (@FootballPak) August 2, 2016
The news comes only days after all members of affiliated committees of the TFF resigned so a "security inspection" could take place to investigate any possible supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is suspected by Turkey of masterminding the coup.
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