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Besiktas charged over 'cat-astrophic' pitch invasion

Besiktas charged over 'cat-astrophic' pitch invasion

Turkish soccer club Besiktas have been charged with failing to stop a cat wandering onto their pitch in the Champions League home match against Bayern Munich.

Besiktas lost 3-1 in Istanbul on Wednesday night and 8-1 on aggregate as Bayern coasted into the quarter-finals.

The ginger moggy was spotted at pitchside after 50 minutes of play and UEFA - European soccer's governing body - has called the club to account, announcing a charge of '"insufficient organisation (animal on the field of play)".

Comically, and with a certain amount of inevitability, the ginger cat won a Bayern Munich poll for man of the match following the continental clash.

The pesky feline became a viral sensation after the match, with Bayern's media team arguably winning the day with their hilarious post.


Besiktas were also charged over the throwing of objects and blocked stairways.

The charges will be dealt with by UEFA's control, ethics and disciplinary body on May 31.

With agencies