Head coach Sergen Yalcin echoed the president’s frustration. Speaking in a separate press conference, he revealed that Silva had voiced his doubts long before the saga became public.
“Silva told me on the first day that he didn’t want to stay here, that he was thinking about leaving football,” he said.
In recent days, Silva’s stance hardened to the point that he refused to train or play, which forced the coach to escalate the matter to the club’s board.
“Since Rafa is a valuable player, I said that we will manage him easily, that he will not have any problems. So I solved the issue,’ he said. “But after a while, the problem started to arise again. This time, I told Rafa his value, that we needed him. We tried to resolve the situation, but the situation reached an unsolvable level. He said that he would no longer train and play in matches.
“Because I had no way to resolve the issue. Our door is open for Rafa Silva to play. I don’t think he has a problem with us, but he has cut off communication and only sends messages through his manager. I have already managed as much as I can. If you ask why I substituted him during the game, Messi and Ronaldo are also out today. Nobody is bigger than Besiktas. Every Monday, we are faced with the question of ‘Will Rafa train, will he play?’ His manager calls the club and threatens that if we cancel his contract, he will play…This is Besiktas… Both Rafa Silva and Sergen Yalcin’s places will be filled.”