Osayi-Samuel to face disciplinary board in Turkey over ‘fight’ with pitch invader

Bright Osayi-Samuel, Super Eagles defender, has been summoned before Turkey’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK)  over a fight with a pitch invader. 

On March 17, Fenerbache players were attacked by Transzonspor fans while celebrating a 3-2 victory over their opponents.

As the home team’s fans set upon the Fenerbache players at Papara Park, Osayi-Samuel squared up with a pitch invader whose face was covered in a scarf.

The Eagles defender, who joined Fenerbache in 2021, eventually overpowered his assailant with the help of a host of stadium stewards and teammates.

In a statement on Monday, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that Osayi-Samuel has been referred to a disciplinary panel due to his part in “fights” after the game.

“Due to his ‘fights’ in the Trendyol Super League competition, he was imprudently referred to PFDK in accordance with Article 45 of the Football Disciplinary Instruction,” the statement reads.

Other Fenerbache players invited to face the panel include Jayden Oosterwolde and İrfan Can Eğribayat, whose actions were described as “unsportsmanlike behaviour” by the TFF.

Kürşat Çiftlik and Okan Özkan, both Fenerbache officials, were also summoned before the disciplinary board.

In reaction, Fenernache described the TFF’s decision as “incompatible with reality”.

In a statement on its website, the club said its players were defending themselves and “self-protection is considered one of the fundamental rights in both national and international legal norms”.

“Our athletes only tried to defend themselves on the field. They exercised their right to self-defence. We will fight until the end to defend this right,” the statement reads.