Turkish social media erupted in anger on Wednesday night after images circulated appearing to show supporters of German football club SC Freiburg urinating near a monument dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Istanbul ahead of the Europa League final.

The incident allegedly took place before Freiburg’s Europa League clash against Aston Villa in the Turkish city, where thousands of travelling fans had gathered for the club’s first major European final.

Photos and videos shared widely online sparked outrage among Turkish users, many of whom described the act as deeply disrespectful towards the founder of modern Turkey. Some posts called on authorities to identify those involved before they left the country.

German fans on social media also condemned the behaviour, with several Freiburg supporters describing those responsible as “idiots” and distancing the club’s fanbase from the incident. One commenter wrote that “every team has these shitty fans”, while others apologised to Turkish people over the images.

There was also debate online over the authenticity and context of some of the circulated images, with users claiming that at least one edited version had removed visible parts of the monument.

The controversy comes amid heightened sensitivity in Turkey surrounding symbols and memorials linked to Ataturk, who remains a central figure in the country’s national identity.

Around 11,000 Freiburg supporters travelled to Istanbul for the Europa League final, according to German media reports, while the city hosted large gatherings of both German and English fans before kickoff.

Aston Villa won the match 3-0 to seal their first major European trophy in 44 years.