(Deutsche Welle) It didn’t take the copycats very long. Less than 48 hours after members of the Turkish national team raised their right hands in a salute to their country’s armed forces during last Friday’s international, the military greeting found its way to the pitch of an amateur league in the Ruhr-district town of Herne. The Türkspor Herne players stood at attention, hands raised to their foreheads before their home match against FC Castrop Rauxel.
The martial tone carried on into the match itself; a heated contest that boiled over in the second half after a couple of questionable calls from one of the linesmen — both of which went against the home side. Several members of the team physically attacked the official, punching and kicking him.
