Mikel The 'Sacrificial Lamb' As Turkish Federation Finally Suspend The Super Lig

The Turkish Football Federation announced on Thursday that the Super League, TFF 1. League, TFF 2. League and TFF 3. League have been suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

After the 'Coronavirus Coordination Meeting' held in Ankara, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports and Turkey Football Federation President, it was decided to postpone the leagues to a later date and a new calendar will be determined after reevaluating the situation.

Before today's decision, the Turkish Super Lig and the Belarusian Premier Leagues were the only leagues in Europe that continued to host matches despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was the first Turkish based footballer to publicly protest the decision of the Turkish Federation.

It is believed that the former Nigeria captain got into the bad books of the TFF and Trabzonspor as he had his contract terminated by mutual consent and forfeited all his future earnings with the league leaders.

Galatasaray's Radamel Falcao and Kayserispor's Ghana international Bernard Mensah also called for the league to be postponed in Turkey, one of the first countries where games began to be held without spectators due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Anthony Nwakaeme (Trabzonspor), Azubuike Okechukwu (Istanbul Basaksehir), Eddy Onazi (Denizlispor), Olarenwaju Kayode (Gaziantep FK), Henry Onyekuru and Jesse Sekidika (both Galatasaray), Aminu Umar (Rizespor), Anthony Uzodimma (Kayserispor) and Paul Mukairu (Antalyaspor) represent Turkish Super Lig clubs, while the likes of Abdullahi Shehu, Chuks Akabueze and Sincere Seth play in the second-tier.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel