Jhon Duran sued! Ex-Aston Villa striker subject of criminal complaint from Galatasaray after goal celebration for Fenerbahce in ill-tempered derby

It is mostly a fiesty affair when Galatasaray and Fenerbahce lock horns in Istanbul. On Sunday evening, Leroy Sane handed the visitors a lead just before the half-hour mark. Fenerbahce were chasing for the bulk of the game, and just when it seemed that they would have to leave the pitch empty-handed, Duran struck deep into stoppage time. He went on to celebrate in a manner that Galatasaray insist was both provocative and indecent. Though the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) had already dismissed their initial request for disciplinary action, the club elected to take the matter to the courts, accusing the 21-year-old forward of harassment and indecent exposure.

After the match, manager Domenico Tedesco heaped praise on his players. He said: "We wanted to start the first half lightly. We experienced this in the Beşiktaş derby. We played the ball a lot in that match, made dangerous passes, and fell behind 2-0. So, our plan today was to play simple for the first 10-15 minutes. What we wanted to see was Galatasaray defending in their own penalty area. We wanted to play with intensity throughout the match, and I think we did that well. Going down 1-0 at the start of the match is partly due to Sane's individual contribution. In these kinds of matches, things like this can happen against players like that. We controlled the game both at the end of the first half and in the second."

Duran left Aston Villa in January in a blockbuster £71 million ($88m) deal to join Al-Nassr, where he continued his prolific form with 12 goals in 18 appearances for the Saudi Pro League club. Before that, he had been one of the Premier League’s most explosive young forwards. Across the first half of the 2024–25 campaign, he hit 12 goals in all competitions for Villa, including spectacular long-range strikes against Everton and Bayern Munich that underlined his potential as one of Europe’s most dynamic attacking prospects. Fenerbahçe secured his services on a season-long loan during the summer window, hoping he would provide the extra cutting edge required in a title race that shows no sign of letting up. In his five Super Lig appearances so far, he has registered two goals and two assists, including the derby equaliser that ignited this week’s uproar.

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Sunday’s derby was tense even by Istanbul standards, with both teams desperate to seize the psychological upper hand in the tight title race. When Duran levelled the match late on, the stadium erupted in noise, but his subsequent celebration sparked immediate fury from Galatasaray players and later from club officials.

Galatasaray officially requested that the TFF take action, but the disciplinary board reviewed the footage and concluded that Duran would not be referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). Several individuals from both clubs were cited for other incidents surrounding the match, yet Duran’s celebration was deemed not to violate the federation’s code of conduct.

The ruling did little to soothe Galatasaray’s frustration. Soon, the club’s legal representatives had arrived at the Anadolu Courthouse to file criminal charges, arguing the celebration constituted harassment and indecent exposure, which was a serious escalation that took the conflict out of the football authorities’ hands and into the judicial arena. Whether the courts will take up the case remains uncertain. Football-related celebrations rarely enter criminal territory, and it is unclear whether Duran’s actions will meet the legal threshold that Galatasaray allege. For now, however, the complaint itself adds fresh tension to a rivalry that exists on a perpetual knife-edge.

Amid the controversy, Fenerbahce’s focus must quickly turn back to the pitch. Duran’s equaliser ensured the gap between the two clubs remains just one point, preserving the narrowest of margins as the season enters a critical phase. The side return to action on Saturday against Istanbul Basaksehir, a fixture that now arrives under the shadow of the derby row. Tedesco will be eager to shield his players from distraction, particularly as Duran has begun to find consistency in his performances following the adaptation period to Turkish football.