Besiktas terminate contract of midfielder Emirhan Delibas after his dating profile goes viral online, player responds via social media

Turkish giants Besiktas have terminated the contract of young midfielder Emirhan Delibas after a dating profile featuring his pictures went viral online, according to reports.

A graduate of Besiktas' academy, Delibas spent last season on loan at TFF First League side Goztepe. He made his debut for the club this season in the UEFA Conference League against Swiss side FC Lugano. Delibas made his first appearance in the Super Lig in a 3-1 loss against Kasimpasa last month.

According to Turkish outlets Aydinlik and Hurriyet, the player's profile attracted the attention of the club's fans after doing the rounds on social media.

On Monday, February 19, Besiktas released a statement on their official website confirming the termination of Delibas' contract, which read:

"We have parted ways with professional football player Emirhan Delibas by mutual agreement. We wish Emirhan Delibas success in his future career and present it to the public."

With the statement citing no official reason for the termination, speculations are rife that the decision is linked with the leak of the player's dating profile.

However, the midfielder took to his Instagram story, branding the profile as fake and rubbishing the "unfounded rumours" surrounding the profile. The story read (via Sport Bible):

"My loyalty to my team cannot be questioned. Besiktas is a responsibility for me, your love and support has always been my greatest motivation."

The motive behind the termination and any possible problems that the club may have with the profile still remain unclear. However, Kibris Postasi claimed that Delibas' profile contained pictures of the club's products, while Enson Haber claim that the player's explanation was not found convincing enough.

These could have been potential reasons behind the club's decision to take the extreme step of contract termination.

Delibas' incident not the first controversial event at Besiktas this season

Super Lig giants Besiktas were embroiled in another controversial incident earlier this season. In December, the club announced the suspension of five first team players, including former Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly and star striker Vincent Aboubakar.

Rachid Ghezzal, Jean Onana, and Valentin Rosier were the other players suspended by the club, citing "poor performance" and "incompatibility within the team."

Bailly had moved to the club in the summer of 2023 from Manchester United. While Aboubakar was reinstated to the squad, the Ivorian defender's contract was terminated, and he subsequently moved to his former club Villarreal in La Liga.

With the Turkish giants languishing in fourth position in the Super Lig, 26 points off rivals Galatasaray in first place, their season just seems to be going from bad to worse.