VIDEO: Forget the rules?! Turkish referee blows for offside from a throw-in

The comical incident unfolded on Thursday night during a Turkish second-tier fixture at Matli Stadium. Referee Demirbas blew his whistle for an offside offence directly from an Istanbulspor throw-in, sparking fierce protests from both sides given IFAB rules clearly state no such violation can occur. After players from both teams approached the official to clarify the basic regulation, Demirbas realised his error and restarted play with a dropped ball.

The incident quickly drew fierce backlash online, with former Turkish referee Deniz Ates Bitnel sharing the footage on his personal Instagram account alongside a scathing critique: "We say, 'What else could happen?'; our referees keep going from bad to worse...!"

The officiating drama did little to derail Bursaspor on the pitch, as a brace from former Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho powered them to an emphatic 4-0 win. That commanding display in front of 40,105 supporters also extended the club's remarkable unbeaten home streak to 11 months and six days.

Securing four wins from their opening five fixtures puts Bursaspor firmly on the heels of division leaders Batman Petrolspor in the race for automatic promotion. The result provides another massive confidence boost for Mustafa Er's high-flying side as they look to maintain their relentless early-season pace. Meanwhile, Istanbulspor must find quick solutions to halt their slide after being left stuck in the relegation mire with a mere two points.