Turkish footballer Sezer Öztürk stabbed in Germany

VELBERT, Germany

Beşiktaş midfielder Sezer Öztürk has been stabbed during a fight in a Germany night club, the Istanbul team confirmed on Jan. 5.

The 28-year-old suffered two stab wounds, to his arm and his leg, in Velbert, Germany, the player’s uncle, Feridun Öztürk was quoted as saying on the website.

Öztürk was visiting Velbert, where he was born, to see his family. The uncle said the footballer was trying to separate two people having a fight, and sustained the wound from another Turkish man, who was not named since the investigation is ongoing.

Despite the initial reports, Sezer Öztürk’s wounds are not career-threatening, the uncle said.

Öztürk’s cousin, Fırat Dilek, also received injuries in the fight, but did not have fatal wounds.

Sezer Öztürk, a former Bayer Leverkusen, FC Nuremberg, Eskişehirspor and Fenerbahçe player, moved to Beşiktaş at the start of the season, but did not make any appearances. He was left out of the squad indefinitely after being involved in a fight with team captain İbrahim Toraman in October. The duo later reportedly mended ties, but have not been forgiven by the Beşiktaş coaching staff yet. The two players are linked with several other clubs in the current January transfer window.