Fırat Aydınus criticized the referee decisions in Galatasaray's 3-2 Süper Lig victory over Göztepe. Writing for Hürriyet Spor, Aydınus particularly questioned the penalty review by Polish VAR referee Pawel Malec in the 63rd minute and the selection criteria of the Referee Committee.
Galatasaray secured the three points with goals from Davinson, Sara, and Osimhen in the match played this week. Göztepe's goals were scored by Miroshi and Juan. The match referee was Mehmet Türkmen. The team maintained its excellent league form with this win. Galatasaray sits 1st in the Süper Lig with 7 points from 3 games, recording 2 wins and 1 draw. Their recent form is WWD. The club has scored 9 goals and conceded 4 this season, giving them a +5 goal difference.
What was VAR referee Pawel Malec's decision?
The most controversial moment of the match occurred in the 63rd minute. VAR referee Pawel Malec called on-field referee Mehmet Türkmen to the monitor to review a penalty decision in favor of Galatasaray. After review, Türkmen awarded the penalty. Fırat Aydınus criticized this decision, asking "Why did the Polish 'VAR' call Türkmen?" Aydınus emphasized the ambiguity over whether the contact was sufficient for a penalty and what concrete criteria Malec based his decision on.
Additionally, in the 87th minute, a penalty appeal by Göztepe was not given as Davinson Sanchez's hand was deemed to be in a natural position. Aydınus also criticized some of Mehmet Türkmen's foul decisions in the first half. He raised questions about how referees count the 5-second rule and suggested implementing a 5-second time limit for all kicks from inside the penalty area.
Why did the Referee Committee bring Pawel Malec to Turkey?
In his report, Fırat Aydınus stated that Polish VAR referee Pawel Malec was reportedly suspended in his own country due to serious VAR errors. Malec was brought to Turkey for referee education and development. Aydınus questioned this situation, asking "On what concrete criteria was Pawel Malec found more reliable than the referees in the Turkish VAR pool?" He argued that the Referee Committee's criteria for inviting Malec to Turkey were unclear.
The report also mentioned that figures like a 'communication consultant', the 'President of the Referee Committee', and 'Anthony Taylor' could independently review the penalty incident. The performance of FIFA-licensed referee Mehmet Türkmen and Ferhat Gündoğdu's role in referee development were also part of the evaluation. You can follow Galatasaray's current performance on our stats page.
What is Galatasaray's position in the league?
Following this controversial match, Galatasaray maintained its leadership position in the league. The team is at the top with 7 points from 3 matches. The yellow-reds have made a strong start to the season with 9 goals scored and 4 conceded, achieving a +5 goal difference. Their performance in the last three matches is win, win, draw. You can see all the details on our Süper Lig standings page.
The next target is the home match against Rizespor on 2026-12-06. Rizespor is currently 4th in the table. Ahead of this important fixture, Galatasaray continues its preparations with the squad you can review on our squad page. You can follow the team's schedule on our fixtures page.
