A court in Ankara has granted conditional release this Wednesday to Faruk Koca, the former president of Ankaragücü club, who has been in pre-trial detention since he punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face during a match against Rizespor on December 11th.

Koca is charged with 'injuring an official in the course of their duty' and violating the law against violence in sports. His assault has sparked a national debate in Turkey about the lack of respect given to referees.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended all league games for a week, fined the club 62,000 euros, and mandated five home games to be played without fans in attendance. Koca, who resigned from his position the day after the attack, has been handed a lifetime ban from engaging in football-related activities.

Furthermore, the TFF has pledged to take a strong stance to eradicate what many perceive as a culture of impunity in the sport. Koca and three other individuals accused of assaulting Meler are expected to appear before the judge on January 9th, as reported by Turkish network NTV. In the meantime, the former president of Ankaragucu will have to regularly report to the authorities as part of his conditional release.