Beşiktaş’ protracted standoff with Rafa Silva took another tense turn on Tuesday, when the club announced the Portuguese winger skipped training once more, this time reporting back pain.
The 32-year-old was immediately scheduled for an MRI at Acıbadem Hospital, the team’s medical partner – a move widely interpreted inside Turkish football as both precaution and verification amid suspicions that his repeated absences stem from frustration rather than injury.
In a brief but pointed statement, Beşiktaş said: “Our professional footballer Rafa Silva reported back pain and did not participate in the training session. He will undergo an MRI scan today at our health sponsor, Acıbadem Hospital.”
The announcement adds fresh fuel to one of the season’s most volatile sagas.
Silva arrived in Istanbul in the summer of 2024 as one of the Süper Lig’s marquee additions, joining Beşiktaş on a free from Benfica and signing a lucrative deal through 2027 worth 6 million euros ($7 million) annually.
His early impact was immediate, but by the start of the 2025-26 campaign, the relationship had soured.
Behind the scenes, Silva was said to be disillusioned by wavering management, inconsistent squad planning and the team’s struggles in both domestic and European competitions.
Head coach Sergen Yalçın, who returned mid-season, admitted the winger expressed doubts – even thoughts of quitting football temporarily – the very day Yalçın stepped into the job.
“I showed unprecedented tolerance,” Yalçın told reporters, “but no one is bigger than Beşiktaş.”
Club president Serdal Adalı has drawn a hard line, rejecting an offer from Silva’s camp to terminate the contract for 3 million euros and insisting the player can only leave for at least 15 million euros or through a suitable transfer offer.
He warned that unresolved negotiations could wind up at FIFA – a prospect that could sideline Silva for months.
Silva’s representatives pushed back with a 21-point statement denying threats, defending his professionalism and claiming unmet promises eroded his initial enthusiasm for the project.
Despite murmurs of interest from Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Saudi clubs, no formal bids have arrived.
To calm tensions, Silva was granted permission in mid-November to meet with family and advisers.
Yet even after briefly signaling he might stay, he continued missing training sessions – increasingly citing physical discomfort.
The MRI requested on Tuesday is as symbolic as it is medical. For the club, it is a necessary check; for fans, it is a test of credibility at the height of mistrust.
Silva’s season numbers – five goals and three assists in roughly 16 matches – reflect strong early form derailed by conflict.
Beşiktaş, still fighting near the top of the Trendyol Süper Lig and competing in Europe, now prepare for a Nov. 23 league clash with Samsunspor under the cloud of uncertainty surrounding one of their highest-paid players.
