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Athletes top the list of people who set the trend in fashion, be it in clothing or hairstyle. They take the crown for having the most lovely hairstyles and beards.
But a football official in Turkey is keen on stopping this trend setting craze. Ilhan Cavcav, the chair of Turkish club Genclerbirligi, has “declared total war” on players sporting beards. Interestingly, he sports a mustache!
Any person who contravenes the ban, including players and managers, will pay a fine of £7,150 (Sh1.02m).
“I am 80-years-old and I shave every single day. You are a sportsman, you should be a good model to the youth,” Cavcav was quoted saying in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, adding that the beards make the footballers look like students.
Cavcav, it is reported, has tried in vain to convince the Turkish Football Federation, through chair Yildirim Demiroren, to adopt a nationwide beard ban.
“Demiroren told me that they could not impose such a restriction because UEFA would not let them do it. I am fed up with this UEFA. I wish we had some other place to play our football,” he said.
His harsh stance on beards is not unique to his club. Former Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Redondo missed the 1998 World Cup after Argentine manager Daniel Passarella left him out of the team because he refused to shave.
