Trossard slapped in the face as Besiktas condemn 'disgraceful' refereeing after Alanyaspor defeat

Leandro Trossard was slapped in the face by Alanyaspor defender Fidan Aliti during Besiktas’ 1-0 Super Lig defeat on Sunday, with neither the on-field referee nor VAR taking action — prompting an angry reaction from the former Arsenal winger and a scathing public statement from his club.

The incident occurred off the ball in just Trossard’s second league appearance since completing his move from Arsenal to the Turkish Super Lig last month. Video replays clearly showed the Swiss defender striking the 32-year-old in the face following a coming together, but referee Adnan Deniz Kayatepe waved play on and VAR official Bülent Birincioğlu did not intervene.

Trossard was unequivocal in his post-match assessment. “The decision should clearly have been changed; I think the opponent slapped me,” the Belgium international said. “Clear red card. The decision needed to be changed.”

Besiktas went considerably further in a statement published on X, naming both officials directly and accusing them of bringing shame on Turkish refereeing. “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,” the club wrote.

The statement singled out Kayatepe by name, referencing what the club described as “scandalous decisions” in last year’s Ziraat Turkish Cup semi-final, and accused Birincioğlu of remaining silent in the VAR room despite the incident happening “right in front of the world’s eyes.”

“We do not want to see malicious referees like Adnan Deniz Kayatepe and Bülent Birincioğlu in our matches ever again,” the statement continued. “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.”

The defeat leaves Besiktas with a difficult start to Trossard’s tenure at the club, with the controversy over the officiating now threatening to overshadow the Belgian’s early adaptation to life in Turkey.