Fenerbahce have swiftly moved to deny claims of a dressing room rift between manager Jose Mourinho and on-loan forward Jhon Duran.
Mourinho had been quoted saying that the Colombian had not turned up for pre-season training in Portugal.
However, Fenerbahce’s head of communications insists the suggestion Duran went AWOL are untrue.
“The alleged statements attributed to our head coach Jose Mourinho in the foreign press regarding our player Jhon Duran are entirely false,” Alper Yemeniciler said.
“Our coach has not made any statements on this matter. Our player arrived in Portugal this [Wednesday] evening to join our team’s Algarve training camp.”
Duran signed for Mourinho’s Fenerbahce earlier this month on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
The 21-year-old had been playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East, but departed after only 18 appearances.
He left Aston Villa and the Premier League for Al Nassr in January in a £64million move that saw him heavily criticised.
Now, Duran is part of the Fenerbahce squad heading into the new season, with this being his third club in seven months.
Fenerbahce play their first game in preparation for the new campaign on Thursday against Portuguese side Portimonense.
It’s a good thing if Duran isn’t on the wrong side of his boss, with Mourinho a seasoned veteran in fall outs with players.
He publicly criticised Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford at Manchester United, while ripping the bib off Eden Hazard while at the Blues.
And Mourinho is already talking about consequences for Duran’s ‘disrespectful’ act at the start of pre-season.
The young striker would have hoped for a more positive start to his time at Fenerbahce after controversies at other clubs.
Before his departure from Aston Villa, he was sent off for stamping on the back of Fabian Schar during a game against Newcastle.
At the same time, his angry reaction of kicking a water bottle on the touchline saw him charged by the FA for his actions.
And in another incident at Villa Park, Duran’s attitude was questioned as he smashed the substitutes’ seats after being taken off during a Champions League win.
He was also involved in an issue surrounding his living situation in Saudi Arabia, which Al Nassr had to release a statement to deny.
Duran continues to be involved in controversial moments and his latest leaves him in very hot water.
His first impression at Fenerbahce couldn’t have been made much worse and Mourinho is clearly angry.
Talks between the pair are expected and his time in Turkey could well be defined by how that chat goes.