Leandro Trossard and Besiktas have condemned the 'disgraceful' refereeing in their match with Alanyaspor after an opposition player evaded punishment despite appearing to slap the former Arsenal attacker in the face.
Slap incident in Besiktas defeat
Trossard completed a transfer to the Turkish Super Lig last month and Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Alanyaspor was just his second league game for Besiktas. The 32-year-old was involved in the major talking point of the match after getting caught up in an off-the-ball incident with Fidan Aliti.
Video replays showed the Swiss defender clearly struck Trossard in the face after a coming together, but he was spared punishment by referee Adnan Deniz Kayatepe and VAR, much to the shock of the Belgium international.
Player and club react
Trossard fumed after the game: "The decision should clearly have been changed; I think the opponent slapped me. Clear red card. The decision needed to be changed."
Besiktas went one further in a scathing statement where they singled out Kayatepe and Bulent Birincioglu, the game's designated VAR official. In a post shared on X, the club wrote: "The management displayed by the referees in our match against Corendon Alanyaspor has taken its place in history as a document of shame for Turkish refereeing."
"Adnan Deniz Kayatepe, the prince of the Central Referee Committee president whose scandalous decisions in last year's Ziraat Turkish Cup semi-final still linger fresh in memories, has added yet another disgraceful performance to his record, as if to say, 'Where did we leave off?'"
"The opposing player slapped Trossard right in front of the world's eyes. Referee Adnan Deniz Kayatepe failed to see the incident. Bülent Birincioğlu in the VAR room, meanwhile, remained silent."
Demand for fair officiating
"We do not want to see malicious referees like Adnan Deniz Kayatepe and Bülent Birincioğlu in our matches ever again."
"We seek neither advantages nor privileges. We only demand fair and equal officiating. We will continue our rightful struggle with determination until this unjust system changes."
