Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has been banned by the official governing body FIFA for four months for breach of contract.
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss the rest of the season due to a ban imposed by FIFA for breach of contract. On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed the four-month ban on Calhanoglu over his contract dispute with Turkish club Trabzonspor.
Reports suggest that Hakan agreed a deal with Turkish side Trabzonspor before joining Hamburg instead. The German born Turkish international has played for Karlsruher and Hamburger, before joining Bayer Levekusen.
The 22 year old has been one of the best players for Bayer during the last couple of seasons. Hakan is well known for his accurate free-kick goals and the German club will miss him very much.
In 2014, he joined Bayer Leverkusen and has showed some brilliant performances during the last three seasons. Recently he has been a transfer targets for various big clubs in Europe.
But the latest news regarding Hakan suggest that he will miss the rest of this season due to this ban. Back in 2013, Hakan’s youth club Trabzonspor lodged a claim with world soccer’s governing body FIFA. The complaint suggested that Calhanoglu had breached the terms of his contract when he signed for German team Karlsruhe in 2011.
“The club sought the return of a €100,000 advance that it had made to the player as well as compensation of €1 million,” the court said.
Hakan has been ordered to pay Trabzonspor 100,0000 euros ($1.08 million). He will also miss his team’s Champions League round of 16 matches against Atletico Madrid later this month. Bayer are currently 9th in the Bundesliga table with just 24 points from 18 games. Calhanoglu, who has seven goals for Leverkusen this season will be a huge miss for the German side.
He is also suspended for Turkey’s World Cup qualifying match at home against Finland on March 24.
“We obviously regret this decision, which we cannot follow in any way” said Leverkusen sports director Rudi Voeller.
“It’s a heavy blow for Hakan, but also for us,” Rudi Voller said in a statement. “Although Bayer Leverkusen had nothing to do with the events in 2011, we are now being heavily punished. Now we’re missing a very important player during a decisive part of the season.”
READ:
Lighting up the Bridge: Cricket at Chelsea’s home turf
Origins of the offside rule
I would never have left Manchester United, says David Beckham
“For me, this fight doesn’t exist”-Ronaldo on Messi
How Lucas Moura Made Sir Alex Ferguson Angry
