Besiktas, one of the largest and most popular soccer clubs in Turkey, announced Monday that it would part ways with midfielder Emirhan Delibas "by a mutual agreement of both parties." According to media outlets in the country, the reason for his release was that he faked his age on a dating website profile.
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According to several reports, 21-year-old Delibas stated on his profile on the dating site - which was shared on social networks and went viral - that he is 24 years old. Additionally, he uploaded a picture of himself in a Besiktas jersey. This, it seems, made the post go viral.
Besiktas fans raised a storm online when the profile picture with the player’s incorrect age was uploaded to social media, claiming it was disrespectful to the club and requested that its management "terminate his contract immediately."
One of the commenters on social media argued, among other things, that "his head isn’t focused on soccer at all, but on other things."
Delibas claims outright that the dating site profile is fake and that he never registered for the service. "I reject the comments made against me by fake accounts. I want to clarify that there can be no doubt about my loyalty to the club. My love for Besiktas has always been my driving force and top priority," he said.