Ayberk Demirbas, a Turkish second-tier referee, made a jaw-dropping error during a match at Matli Stadium on Thursday night by whistling for an offside violation directly from a throw-in—a call that violates fundamental football regulations. The bewildering decision immediately sparked unified protests from both teams, forcing the visibly embarrassed official to halt play and restart with a dropped ball after realizing his mistake.
According to IFAB rules, an offside offence cannot be committed directly from a throw-in under any circumstances. Players from both Istanbulspor and their opponents quickly converged on Demirbas to voice their confusion, making clear that the call contradicted basic football law. The incident, captured on video and shared by former Turkish referee Deniz Ates Bitnel on Instagram, drew immediate criticism. Bitnel's post read: "We say, 'What else could happen?'; our referees keep going from bad to worse...!" highlighting growing frustration with match officials in Turkish football.
Bursaspor's Dominant Performance
Despite the refereeing chaos, Bursaspor delivered a clinical performance to crush their opponents 4-0. Former Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho provided the cutting edge with a brace, spearheading the commanding victory in front of 40,105 supporters at the stadium. The result extended Bursaspor's remarkable unbeaten run at home to 11 months and six days, cementing their status as one of the division's most formidable sides.
The emphatic win strengthens Bursaspor's promotion push in the Turkish second tier. With four victories from their opening five fixtures, Mustafa Er's side now trails only division leaders Batman Petrolspor in the automatic promotion race. The team's relentless early-season form suggests they are genuine contenders to climb back to the top flight. Conversely, Istanbulspor faces an urgent need to arrest their poor start, sitting in the relegation zone with just two points from their first matches.
