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The mystery of the referee's "stolen" watch: Turkey demanded a replay of the match with Paraguay

2026-06-25 17:58:10Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The mystery of the referee's "stolen" watch: Turkey demanded a

There is no peace for Turkey, which had come to America with high expectations, as one of the possible surprises of the World Cup, but which is already out after a disastrous start: two defeats in two matches. Even the eve of the confrontation with the United States in Los Angeles, now worthless except for a performance against the locals who are first in the group, has restored the image of a national team that is not at all calm. The team of technician Vincenzo Montella has arrived in the city of angels with a load of disappointment, anger and controversy, which have not yet subsided after the recent disaster against Paraguay.

The reception in front of the team's hotel was significant: there were many fans who had followed the bus from the airport waving Turkish flags, but also a group of protesters who targeted both the coach and the federation president, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu. "Montella go home", "Shame on you" and "Go back to your country", were the most heard chants. Faced with the growing protests, the federation president himself was forced to speak: "Our only regret is that we disappointed these people. They came from all over the world to support us and that still hurts us. We apologize to our fans. But it will be our boys who will pick us up again", declared Haciosmanoglu, promising a response at Euro 2026 and confirming his faith in the current group of players and, above all, in the Italian coach.

Protest

As if that weren't enough, the bitter echo of the defeat to Paraguay is still felt from Istanbul to Los Angeles, but the matter has already taken on surreal tones. At the center of the scene is once again Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton, the one who sent off Almiron for putting his hand in front of his mouth. The other protagonist, however, is Paraguayan midfielder Matias Galarza, the goal-scorer who cut off the Turks' head with a sword blow. During the chaos, Barton had lost his technological watch while trying to calm one of the many clashes in an electrifying match. Television showed how Galarza himself had taken it and left, even initially placing it on his wrist, before returning it later.

The video immediately went viral on X, TikTok and Instagram, generating millions of views, but in Turkey the controversy went beyond a simple meme on social networks. Many pointed out that Galarza had already been booked at that moment and that the referee, focused on making up for lost time and distracted by the chaos around him, did not take appropriate measures. So the midfielder should have been sent off and the episode would have affected the orderly progress of the match. The novelty revealed by the Turkish press, however, is that behind the scenes the federation had even attempted a sensational path: quietly, without making the move public, it had initiated contacts with FIFA to verify the possibility of requesting a replay of the match, with federal lawyers engaged in the matter.

It would have been Haciosmanoglu himself who gave the green light to the initiative with a significant phrase: “Even if there is a one percent chance, let’s do it. Let’s defend our rights…” FIFA’s response, of course, was negative: although the unusual nature of the case was acknowledged, the conduct of the match was not compromised. One detail seems to have been considered decisive: Barton had a second timekeeping system, so there was no harm in the failed match.


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