Leandro Trossard’s second league appearance for Besiktas descended into controversy as the Belgian forward was slapped in the face during a 1-0 defeat to Alanyaspor, with neither the referee nor VAR taking action.

The incident occurred off the ball, with television replays clearly showing defender Fidan Aliti striking Trossard across the face. The 32-year-old immediately went to ground, expecting the officials to intervene. Instead, referee Adnan Deniz Kayatepe allowed play to continue, and VAR official Bulent Birincioglu did not recommend a review.

The decision infuriated Trossard, who joined Besiktas from Arsenal to relaunch his career in the Turkish Super Lig. Speaking after the match, he insisted the officials had made a glaring error, describing the contact as a clear red-card offence and saying the decision “needed to be changed.”

Besiktas, already frustrated by the defeat, escalated the row with an unusually fierce club statement condemning the officiating team. In a post on X, the Istanbul giants branded the refereeing performance a “document of shame for Turkish refereeing” and accused Kayatepe of adding “yet another disgraceful performance” to his record.

The club highlighted the slap on Trossard as the defining moment, stressing that it happened “right in front of the world’s eyes” while both the on-field referee and VAR “remained silent.” Besiktas went further, declaring they did not want to see Kayatepe or Birincioglu appointed to their matches again.

The statement insisted the club was not seeking special treatment, only “fair and equal officiating,” and vowed to continue what it called a “rightful struggle” until the system changes.

On the pitch, the defeat to Alanyaspor checked Besiktas’ early momentum after they opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Eyupsor, a match in which Trossard was booked on his debut as Vaclav Cerny scored the winner. The loss leaves Besiktas in mid-table and has shifted the focus from tactics and form to a deepening mistrust of refereeing standards in Türkiye.