but they were soft toys for the children affected by the earthquake – Corriere.it

Great emotion during the championship match, in Turkey, between Besiktas and Antalyaspor, match which ended 0-0 (Sunday 26 February). In the 4th minute, the referee was forced to interrupt the match for a few minutes due to a heavy throwing of objects by the home fans. However, when it was understood what was happening both the referee and the players on the pitch applauded for the beautiful gesture. In fact, it was not a question of a protest – as unfortunately we see it in stadiums – but thousands of cuddly toys and stuffed animals were thrown that completely filled the space that separates the playing field from the stands. A banner explained it all. It was a commemoration of all the children who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on 6 February.

A tragedy that caused the death of over 50,000 people, including footballer Christian Atsu, ex Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle, also remembered on social media by Lukaku. After a five-minute suspension to allow the collection of all the stuffed animals and toys that had fallen onto the pitch, the match then resumed peacefully. It was not the only act of charity staged in this match: all the shirts worn by the players were auctioned off and the money obtained will be entirely donated to help the survivors and the many displaced people after the tragic earthquake.