Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu suspended by Fifa for breach of contract

Bayer Leverkusen's Hakan Calhanoglu will miss the rest of the season after being handed a four-month ban by Fifa for a breach of contract. The Turkey international, who came out of the youth ranks at Karlsruher, was paid €100,000 after he agreed to sign for Trabzonspor in the future. However, he never joined the club, and extended his contract with Karlsruher instead.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against the 22-year-old after he appealed against the FIFA verdict and the ban will take immediate effect. The midfielder will miss all of Leverkusen's remaining matches this, including the Champions League last 16 tie with Atletico Madrid. Calhanoglu is also out of Turkey's World Cup 2018 qualifier against Finland and friendly against Moldova in March.

"It's a heavy blow for Hakan, but also for us," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said, as quoted by ESPN. "Although Bayer Leverkusen had nothing to do with the events in 2011, we are now being heavily punished. Now we're missing a very important player during a decisive part of the season. We obviously regret this decision, which we cannot follow in any way."

Trabzonspor lodged their complaint with FIFA in April 2013 before the player agreed to join Wolfsburg. He moved to Leverkusen in 2014 and has been in brilliant form this season, scoring seven times

Leverkusen are currently ninth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of the top four and face an uphill struggle to qualify for next season's Champions League.