Fenerbahce express their concerns regarding officiating in the EuroLeague / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: BasketNews/Begum Unal Credit BasketNews/Begum Unal

After yesterday's last-second loss against FC Barcelona, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul released a public announcement, expressing their concerns regarding the officiating down the stretch in the last few Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games.

Fenerbahce Istanbul / Schedule

Real Madrid Fenerbahce Istanbul70-69 Fenerbahce Istanbul FC Barcelona74-76 Olympiakos Piraeus Fenerbahce IstanbulThu18:00

In yesterday's contest, Jan Vesely was charged with an unsportsmanlike foul with two minutes remaining in the game, resulting in five straight points by Barcelona, who took a 70-66 advantage and won the game.

Last week, Fenerbahce lost by one point to Real Madridafter Vincent Poirier converted both free throws with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

Back in Round 2, they lost another last-minute drama against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, who finished the game with a 9-0 run, converting nine free throws down the stretch. A few of them were made after an unsportsmanlike foul call.

Fenerbahce released the following statement:

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as a EuroLeague A license team, has consistently given maximum importance to protecting the value of the EuroLeague brand since the 2006-2007 season. We have kept this as a guiding principle and acted upon the unity of the EuroLeague organization even after games were decided by unacceptable officiating.

What we have witnessed since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, however, has made it very difficult for us to stay quiet about the increasing number of unacceptable mistakes by the referees, which are widely recognized by basketball fans.

In our three recent games, against Panathinaikos on October 7, Real Madrid on October 21, and Barcelona on October 26 a number of highly questionable calls essentially decided the winner.

These calls were often made at very critical moments, altering the momentum and the chemistry of the game, and included unsportsmanlike fouls that were not seen before. Moreover, these calls were made in ways that clearly contradict the standards implemented by the EuroLeague referees.

We are also cognizant of the fact that, in the past, EuroLeague has acknowledged officiating errors and formally apologized to affected clubs in similar situations.

While we have kept our calm and stood with the league up to this point, it has become impossible to continue to do so after these recent events. Our club, with a storied past and substantial investment in men's basketball, with its strong sponsors and presence as one of the most important stakeholders of Turkish basketball, is one of the most valuable partners of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and does not accept in any manner, shape or form the unfair consequences of the officiating decisions and calls.

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