“We've broken up with Fernando Santos, our coach. In a statement, Besiktas stated, “We appreciate Santos for his efforts and wish him luck in the future. Serdar Topraktepe, coach of the young squad, will take over for the Portuguese player until the conclusion of the season.”

Besiktas made their decision just hours after drawing 1-1 with Samsunspor at home on matchday 32, marking the team's sixth straight game without a victory in the Turkish football division.

After three straight losses, a draw, and an equaliser, Besiktas maintained their fourth-place standing with 48 points, two more than Kasimpasa, who suffered a home loss to Konyaspor.

Since joining Besiktas in January, the 69-year-old former Portuguese coach has only won seven of his 16 games in charge of the team, drawing four and losing five.

Approximately 14 years had passed since Fernando Santos last played for a club. He had previously played for the national teams of Greece, Portugal (where he won the 2016 European Championship), and Poland.

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A passionate Irish journalist with a love for cycling, politics and of course Portugal especially their sausage rolls.

Rory Mc Ginn