Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has ruthlessly hit back at Miralem Pjanic after he was accused of "disrespecting" the midfielder.
Pjanic, 31, was shipped out on loan to Besiktas earlier this month once it became clear he was not in Koeman's plans for the season.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international joined Barca in a big-money transfer from Juventus last year which saw Arthur move the other way.
But Pjanic failed to find the back of the net in 30 appearances for the Catalan club and he fell down Koeman's pecking order.
While he has been given the chance to revive his career in Turkey, Pjanic still feels aggrieved by his treatment under the Dutchman.
"Koeman disrespected me," Pjanic told Spanish outlet Marca . "You need confidence and dialogue and things to be said to your face. That never happened.
"This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. I'm a player who can accept anything but I would like to be given an explanation.
"I don't want to be treated like it's nothing and I'm still 15 years old. I'd have liked him to have told me to my face that he didn't want me. He doesn't speak to you and I don't understand it."
Koeman disagrees with Pjanic's grievances and informed him of this with a brutal put-down, declaring "there are other players who are better than him".
The former Southampton and Everton boss said: "I think there's some frustration on the player's part and I understand that.
"However, in terms of how we play, our ideas with and without the ball, he's fallen short of other midfielders.
"That's it. I wish him all the best. It's been complicated, but we tried and we saw that there are other players who are better than him."
Do you side with Miralem Pjanic or Ronald Koeman? Comment below.
Meanwhile, Koeman recently provided an update on his own future by declaring he would like to stay at Camp Nou for "many years".
"Yes, of course, I am open to renewal," he told Sport . "I am very excited to continue as Barca coach for many years, despite the difficult moments at the club today.
"But I think that thanks to our decisions, coach and technical staff, Barca has young players with a huge immediate future and hopefully within three, four or five years I can continue to be their coach."
Referencing Barcelona's ongoing financial crisis and the recent departure of talisman Lionel Messi, Koeman added: "I have always believed that I have a duty to help the club where I am, looking for ways to improve the team without compromising the good of the organisation.
"Of course, what is happening at Barca in recent times is something very special. Everything has happened to me!"
