Miralem Pjanic has been forced to clarify an Instagram post that appeared to be directed at sacked Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman.
The on-loan Beskitas midfielder posted a quote that read 'Know when to let that s*** go' not long after Koeman was relieved of his duties as manager of Barcelona.
Many concluded that the quote was in reference to the Dutchman, given how the pair had been involved in a war of words with each other in recent months, which saw Pjanic get sent out on loan to Besiktas at the start of the season.
However, after reports surfaced that Pjanic made the pointed jab at Koeman, the midfielder swiftly deleted the post before clarifying that he was 'misquoted' and that he wished his former boss 'the best of luck'.
In a follow-up post on Instagram, Pjanic wrote: 'In a world where everyone's eyes are glued to their screens, it's very easy to misquote someone and place them out of context.
'Throughout my career, I have never intentionally, indirectly or directly, intended to harm anyone. I was raised to respect everyone and anyone.
'And I content to continue doing that in all ways. I wish Ronald Koeman the best of luck in his future journey.
'I will continue to focus on doing my best for my team.'
The midfielder was a high-profile summer arrival at the Nou Camp in 2020 from Juventus but struggled to nail down a first team spot under the Koeman in a frustrating first season at the club.
Pjanic has been watching from afar at his parent club who have struggled in the early part of the campaign, with defeat to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
In an interview earlier this month, Pjanic suggested that Koeman didn't have a plan to fit him into Barcelona's system.
'Last year in Barcelona, the coach made decisions that I didn't understand, I wasn't very lucky' as quoted by AS.
'I could have played for Barcelona. I needed more minutes, but it was the coach's decision. He had to figure it out and find a place where I could play.
'They go through difficult times and the results are not what the fans want. That creates pressure. The board of directors and the president know what to do.
'Financially, things are not good, but it is a great club. It has very good players and, perhaps, they need a leader to lift the team.
'Mistakes have been made, but people will make the right decisions. Barcelona will come back as one of the greatest.'
It came after the Dutch coach claimed he had better players to fit his system, having responded to the midfielder's initial complaints that he was disrespected during his season at the Nou Camp.
'I think it's a bit of frustration on the part of the player that I understand,' Koeman told Mundo Deportivo.
'But in our way of playing, in our ideas with the ball and without the ball, he has lost the battle with other midfielders, and nothing else.'
Having started just six LaLiga games last term, Pjanic appears to be enjoying his time at Besiktas having already featured seven times in all competitions, contributing four assists.