The Turkish referee who officiated Maradona's match shared that memory for the first time.

28.06.2025 17:40

Referee Nurettin Dehmen from Elazığ officiated the friendly match between Galatasaray and Sevilla in Istanbul in March 1993, serving as one of the three Turkish referees overseeing the game featuring Diego Armando Maradona. Dehmen shared his memories related to Maradona.

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Football legend Diego Armando Maradona, who transferred to Sevilla in the 1992-1993 season, came to Istanbul on March 2, 1993, for a friendly match against Galatasaray. The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw and was watched by thousands of fans at İnönü Stadium, has gone down in history as the only match Maradona played in Turkey.

Argentinian Diego Armando Maradona, considered one of the most important players in football history, had assistant referee Nurettin Dehmen from Elazığ officiating during the friendly match against Galatasaray. Years later, Dehmen shared the behind-the-scenes story of that unforgettable match with İhlas News Agency (IHA) reporter. Dehmen, who has photos with Maradona, said, "It was very important for us to share the same field and breathe the same air as Maradona."

''I HAD THE CHANCE TO BE ONE OF THE TURKISH REFEREES WHO OFFICIATED MARADONA'S MATCH''

Nurettin Dehmen (67), who has held many roles in his football career from refereeing to observing, from educating to commenting, stated, "I have been a football referee, observer, referee observer, and referee educator in Turkish leagues for many years. For about 5 years, I have also been commenting on game rules or referees on various television channels. In the past, besides my refereeing, I experienced very special days. In 1993, Sevilla with Maradona came to Istanbul to play a match against Galatasaray. I had the chance to be one of the three Turkish referees officiating Maradona's match. That match was very important for me and my referee friends. We officiated together with Sabri Çelik and Adem Serezli," he said.

''OFFICIATING MARADONA'S MATCH AND BREATHING THE SAME AIR WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US''

Dehmen noted that the match started about half an hour late, saying, ''As we later learned, Turkish coffee was offered to Maradona inside the playing area, which is why the match started late. For us, officiating Maradona's match and breathing the same air as him was very important. This is a beautiful memory for me. I share this memory with young brothers in every geography I have been to, especially in Elazığ and Keban. The children are very interested in this, and this interest makes me happy. People want to share and preserve the things they experienced in the past. The photos I took with Maradona were taken with my personal camera. Preserving, sharing, and hanging them on the wall of my home is one of the most important memories I leave for my children and grandchildren," he concluded.