Football fans in Turkey witnessed a very rare occurrence on Sunday when a dog invaded the pitch, grabbed the ball and tried to play football causing a stoppage during a league match between Fatih Karagumruk Spor and Giresunspor.
The white dog the pitch as one of the teams was preparing to take a free-kick, grabbed the ball and attempted to actually play football. One of the players attempted to distract it by kicking the ball off the pitch in an attempt to lure it off the pitch.
DOG STAR: A soccer-loving pup interrupts a professional match in Turkey and shows off some skills on the pitch https://t.co/nUawfBmC1l pic.twitter.com/zisnAHH8W3
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 18, 2020
The dog continued to play with the ball at the touchline with clear no intention of leaving the pitch area. The fans in the stands cheered on as the carnival continued to display its footballing skills without noticing that it had caused match stoppage.
Fatih Karagümrük captain Zeki Yıldırım then walked to the touchline and carried the dog outside the pitch area before the gate to the area was closed to prevent another stoppage caused by the enthusiastic dog.
It’s not the first incident of an animal taking to the pitch. During a game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants this past season, there was a black cat that roamed around MetLife Stadium and even ran around the end zone in the process disrupting the match.