Beşiktaş head coach Sergen Yalçın has claimed that Victor Osimhen should have been sent off during their heated clash against Galatasaray on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Galatasaray traveled to the Tüpras Stadium for one of the most prestigious fixtures in Turkish football.
Despite the intensity of the derby, Yalçın was unable to lead his side to victory on home turf, as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a clinical header from the Nigerian talisman.
The Black Eagles were handed a significant lifeline in the second half when Leroy Sané was dismissed following a second bookable offense.
However, Beşiktaş failed to capitalize on the numerical advantage. The result leaves the club with 46 points after 25 games, placing their hopes of European qualification in serious jeopardy.
Following the final whistle, a frustrated Yalçın took aim at the officiating, arguing that the outcome was influenced by biased refereeing.
Sergen Yalçın on Why Victor Osimhen Deserved a Red Card
While Victor Osimhen finished the match with a single yellow card, Yalçın insists the Super Eagles star committed a second bookable foul that was intentionally ignored. The Beşiktaş manager went as far as accusing the officials of “playing politics” to favor the league leaders.
”This level of politics is almost laughable. The Beşiktaş community is watching; it shouldn't be like this,” Yalçın stated.
“The referee was constantly waving his hands, claiming nothing was wrong. He was literally turning his head away to avoid seeing Osimhen’s second yellow. These occurrences don't seem normal to me anymore.”
Such outbursts are rarely a surprise in the high-stakes environment of an Istanbul derby, where controversy is often part of the spectacle.
Regardless of the protests, the result stands. Osimhen and his teammates will now shift their focus from domestic celebrations to their massive UEFA Champions League encounter against Liverpool in midweek.
