Foreign referee appointed for Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe Derby
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has announced that the highly anticipated Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby on February 24 will be officiated by a world-renowned foreign referee.
TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu stated that the decision was made to prevent controversy and avoid criticism of local referees. “We made this decision to put an end to discussions and to protect our referees from unnecessary debates. A top-level international referee will officiate the match,” he said.
According to the official statement from TFF, Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic has been assigned to the match. His assistants will be Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, while Kadir Sağlam will serve as the fourth official.
This decision comes after Fenerbahçe officially requested a foreign referee for the derby. Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek had previously criticized the general state of refereeing in Turkish football, stating, “Such attitudes do not serve Turkish football and only harm its future.”
The controversy around refereeing intensified after Fenerbahçe head coach José Mourinho publicly criticized officiating decisions in Galatasaray’s recent 1-0 victory over Gaziantep, particularly regarding a handball incident involving former Tottenham defender Davinson Sánchez that went unpunished.
Currently, Galatasaray leads the Süper Lig, sitting six points ahead of second-placed Fenerbahçe as the title race heats up.
