Galatasaray terminate Belhanda's contract over administration criticism
The Turkish club announced the termination of the Moroccan midfielder's deal after a statement in which he criticized the club's board and "insulted" its officials.
Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray announced on Wednesday the termination of their Moroccan midfielder Younès Belhanda's contract following the statement he made after the team's 2-2 draw with Sivasspor in which he criticized officials of the club's board, leading to the player being investigated before the club decided to end the relationship with the player.
The 31-year-old later explained that his comments were misinterpreted after he failed to hide his emotions after the draw that stalled their pursuit of the table's leader Besiktas.
Belhanda’s comments on pitch condition cost him his place at the club
"Even our training camp pitch is in better shape. Instead of obsessing over Twitter and Instagram, or taking interest in the media, (management) should take care of the pitch," Belhanda told a reporter after the game.
Following these comments, the player underwent an investigation after which the club released an official statement along with a copy of the investigation to announce that they unilaterally terminated the player's contract for humiliating the board's members and harming their reputation in the interview he had on 7 March with a "Bein Sports" reporter.
Belhenda numbers with Galatasaray
Belhanda made 131 appearances in the Galatasaray kit, scoring 22 goals. He has netted six times and created four goals in 22 this season. The Moroccan no. 10, who joined Galatasaray in 2017, won the Turkish Super Lig once and the Turkish Cup twice in his time at the club.