Bayer Leverkusen are going to have to do without the services of Hakan Calhanoglu for the rest of the season after the midfielder was handed a four-month ban for breaching his contract.
Specifically, Calhanoglu has been punished for breaching a contract he signed with Turkish side Trabzonspor when he was just 17-years old.
Wir stehen hinter dir, @hakan_10!
Hakan #Calhanoglu ist von der FIFA für vier Monate gesperrt worden: https://t.co/7DHK9y1ca9 pic.twitter.com/UtHRSXR93X
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) February 2, 2017
Playing for German third division side Karlsruhe at the time, Calhanoglu signed a €100,000 pre-contract deal to join Trabzonspor in 2011 only to renege and extend his contract with Karlsruhe instead.
He then signed for top-tier Hamburg in the summer of 2012 on the proviso that he would return to Karlsruhe on loan for the 2012/13 season – duly helping them win promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.
Trabzonspor initially began legal proceedings to recoup their €100,000 as well as €1million in compensation, but today both FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have decided that the repayment of €100,000 and a lengthy ban for Calhanoglu would suffice.
The moral of the story? Don’t sign anything until you’re a proper, fully-functioning grown-up.