Celtic offload AWOL ‘rogue’ Boli Bolingoli with Turkey loan

Disgraced full-back joins Istanbul Basaksehir FK

Boli Bolingoli has been out of favour at Celtic since making his unauthorised trip to Spain. Picture: SNS.

Boli Bolingoli, whose breach of coronavirus protocols led to two of Celtic’s fixtures being postponed, has left Glasgow to sign for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir FK on a season-long loan.

Bolingoli has not featured for Celtic since he broke quarantine rules by taking an unsanctioned trip to Spain, before playing against Kilmarnock.

Celtic’s next two Premiership games were shelved as a consequence while boss Neil Lennon said the “maximum sanction” had been meted out to Bolingoli before adding the Belgian’s representatives would look to move him on.

The Belgian was also banned for three games by the Scottish FA, with a further two-match penalty suspended until 28 February, and the SPFL charged Celtic as a result of the breach, with that hearing yet to take place.

Bolingoli featured 29 times for the Glasgow giants after signing from Rapid Vienna last summer but he has now linked up with the Turkish champions, who say there is an option to make the move a permanent one next summer. He was pictured on the Istanbul
Basaksehir FK website yesterday holding up one of their orange strips and the full-back will wear the No 63 during his time in Turkey.

Celtic said on their website: “Boli Bolingoli has joined Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir FK on loan until the end 
of this season. Everyone at Celtic wishes Bolingoli well during his time at Istanbul Basaksehir FK.”

Those well wishes are in stark contrast to the kind of language used by Lennon shortly after news of Bolingoli’s Spanish trip emerged.

“It will be very difficult to imagine him being welcomed back into the dressing room in the future,” Lennon said about the player at the time.

“This is a rogue who has gone off tangent and has done something very, very selfish. We have been completely oblivious to this. I’m absolutely livid. It’s a total betrayal of our 
trust.

“We gave players a couple of days off after Hamilton. We made it clear to players they were not to leave Glasgow. Boli took flight to Spain on Monday and kept it to himself.

“I didn’t want to hear his excuse. He has blatantly disregarded our instructions.”

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