Why was Samsunspor's Zeki Yavru almost dragged off the pitch in bizarre incident in UEFA Conference League against Legia Warsaw?
Published 03/10/2025 at 08:41 GMT+1
There were a flurry of late yellow cards as Samsunspor held on to a 1-0 win against Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Conference League. One incident that caused the referee to issue a caution saw Legia captain Artur Jedrzejczyk pick up the legs of visiting captain Zeki Yavru, who was claiming to be injured, and drag him towards the touchline in an attempt to speed up the match.
Samsunspor player gets dragged off the pitch after going down with cramp
Video credit: TNT Sports
As Samsunspor attempted to wind down the clock with a 1-0 lead away to Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Conference League, captain Zeki Yavru hit the deck to indicate he was injured.
With a grimace on his face, he waved towards the bench to suggest he was in discomfort following a slight touch from his opposing skipper Artur Jedrzejczyk when the pair chased the ball towards the corner flag.
While Yavru indicated he was suffering from cramp as the game entered injury time at the end of the second half, Jedrzejczyk took matters into his own hands.
He proceeded to grab Yavru’s legs and tried to drag him off the pitch so that the game could restart.
"That’s not really very wise," said TNT Sports commentator Flo Pollock.
His attempt to drag Yavru off the pitch failed, and the incident quickly sparked a group of players to surround the pair with the two teams clashing, before the referee could take hold of the situation.
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When he eventually found his cards, referee Jeremie Pignard booked Jedrzejczyk, while Samsunspor’s Rick van Drongelen also saw yellow for his part in the melee.
Yavru was removed from the pitch shortly after and replaced by Soner Gonul.
Despite Jedrzejczyk's antics, the Turkish club held on for the win, given to them by Anthony Musaba’s goal early in the first half.
Musaba, who joined the club from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, fired his side ahead with a powerful finish in the 10th minute.
The Polish club have yet to issue a statement about the incident through their official channels.
Jedrzejczyk, 37, has made 408 appearances for Legia, and has notched 130 yellow cards in that period.
The Polish veteran was also red carded in last year's Conference League last 16 clash against Molde, which saw him suspended for the club's crucial quarter-final against eventual winners Chelsea, which they ultimately lost 4-2 on aggregate.
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