A member of Georgia’s U16 national football squad was detained at Istanbul airport.

The incident occurred on Saturday, when the members of Georgia’s national team were returning home from Macedonia, the Georgian Football Federation informed.

En route, however, the pilot made an emergency landing in Istanbul.

“The player jokingly told the flight attendant that he had a time bomb. It was only a joke, but the pilot decided to inform the police. The player was taken to the police station, and he was released after an hour of questioning,” the federation noted.

The Georgian Embassy in Turkey and the Georgian Football Federation were instrumental in the release of the young Georgian football player.