Germany and Netherlands ban (only) Turkish teams from playing friendly games

German Football Federation (DFB) bans Turkish football clubs from playing friendly games or setting training camps in the country, following Netherlands’s decision to ban Turkish teams.

Berlin / NationalTurk – Turkish teams won’t be able to play friendly games in Germany anymore, following a decision by Germany Football Federation (DFB).

The burning of torches in the stadiums where Turkish teams play and pitch invasions by Turkish fans are shown as basis for the ban decision.

Many Turkish teams, incl. Beşiktaş, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor prefer to set their pre-season training camps in Germany and all teams have had tight schedules of special friendly games to play in Germany.

The German-Turks who live in Germany have caused some adverse events during these matches in the previous year which eventually led the banning of Turkish teams from playing friendlies on German soil.

DFB justifies its decision by exemplifying the events at last year’s friendly games of Inter Milan-Fenerbahce and Galatasaray-Nürnberg and the Turkish Friendly Derby game of Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce in Dortmund two years ago. The events and fighting at those games are reminded to any company who wants to organize a friendly game with Turkish clubs involved.

Meanwhile the friendly games cost extra for the municipalities the game is played in. German tax-payers expressed their discontent regarding the extra waged paid for cleaning etc. after those friendlies.

Turkish teams are not allowed to play in Germany this pre-season.

A German company’s bid at DFB to organise a friendly game between Galatasaray and Rosenheim on 11th July is also rejected for security reasons.

Introduction of flammable materials is prohibited in German stadiums and DFB states openly it would be difficult to control Turkish crowds and drew attention to security weaknesses when Turkish fans are involved.

Organisation companies in Germany are trying to overcome this problem and Turkish teams will apply for the decision to be reviewed.

Should DFB stick with the ban decision the pre-season camps and games of Turkish teams are expected to shift to Austria or the Netherlands.

Correction Update Correction Update

In the headline NationalTurk posted that the ban was introduced only for Turkish clubs, following reports indicate that clubs from Greece and some Balkan states are also subject to this ban. We are sorry for this error.

 

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