Manchester United supporters were caught off guard on Wednesday evening when they found themselves at the center of a violent confrontation in the streets of Istanbul. The altercation occurred just a day before their club’s Europa League match against Fenerbahce, managed by former United boss Jose Mourinho.
The incident, which unfolded near the Grand Hisar Hotel, less than a kilometer from the infamous Taksim Square, saw United fans ‘swarmed’ by an aggressive group of Fenerbahce ultras. This area has historical significance, as it was the scene of the tragic deaths of two Leeds United fans who were stabbed by Galatasaray supporters in 2000. The memories of that tragedy resurfaced as tensions once again boiled over in Istanbul.
A fan group known as the ‘Bogaz Hooligans,’ notorious for their fierce loyalty to Fenerbahce, took responsibility for the attack, proudly posting videos of the violence on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). One of their posts read: “This is İSTANBUL!” with their group bio stating: “ALL OUR ANARCHIST FEELINGS ARE AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE ENEMIES OF FENERBAHÇE.” The footage shows United fans being chased and assaulted, with one fan reportedly being struck by a crowbar.
One Manchester United fan, who witnessed the incident, told The Mail: “It all happened so fast. I saw a fellow supporter being hit with a crowbar right in front of me. It was chaos.” Another fan shared their experience on the United supporters’ site StrettyNews: “We were a group of five, but about 50 of them swarmed us. One guy pretended to help me, only to punch me right in the jaw.”
The atmosphere surrounding Turkish football has often been marred by incidents of extreme violence, and Wednesday’s events only added to the long list of controversies. Just last December, Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca shocked the football world when he ran onto the pitch and physically attacked referee Halil Umut Meler after a 1-1 draw with Rizespor. Koca punched the official in the face before kicking him while he lay on the ground, a moment that highlighted the deep-rooted issues of fan and club official misconduct in Turkish football.
Turkish football violence is not a new phenomenon. Back in the 2003/04 season, Gaziantepspor fans infamously set fire to a stadium stand during a match with Fenerbahce. A few years later, in 2010, Fenerbahce’s own fans turned on their team, setting parts of their stadium ablaze after a disappointing defeat to rivals Bursaspor that cost them the league title.
As United prepares to face Fenerbahce at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, many are concerned about further incidents of violence. Despite security promises, the fear of similar outbreaks of aggression remains fresh in the minds of traveling supporters, especially in a city where football passions can easily spiral into chaos.
While authorities have increased security measures ahead of the match, the question of whether enough is being done to curb fan violence in Turkish football looms large.
