Fans use giant paintings to thank the former household after the Turkish earthquake
The painting occupies nearly two floors of the Akyazi Stadium, where the Trabzonspor - Basel match in the Conference League play-off round took place on the evening of February 16. The painting shows an emergency worker rescuing a baby. Proteo, a dog of Mexican descent who died on a mission in Turkey, was also present. At another angle, the painting shows a fist reaching up through the rubble and holding a Turkish flag.
Before the match, Trabzonspor announced to donate all proceeds to the victims of the earthquake. Players from both teams played with black tape. Before the ball rolled, they and the audience observed a minute of silence for the victims. Fans of the away team Basel brought a banner: "We look forward to you". After Larsen scored a 1-0 victory in the 65th minute, the Trabzonspor players shared their joy by focusing on raising a shirt bearing the colors of the Turkish flag.
"Football has the power to heal and unite," Trabzonspor coach Abdullah Avci told uefa.com. "I am very happy that we played this match. All the Turkish clubs supported us today and everyone in the country also showed their support. It was emotional."
Trabzonspor and Basel will meet again in the second leg on February 23, in Switzerland.
On February 6, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. According to the latest figures, this disaster killed more than 41,000 people and injured about 120,000. Rescue work is still going on. The Turkish Super Lig is still suspended due to the earthquake.