Can Yaman’s Athletic Trainer: Drugs? Impossible. He Wouldn’t Have Survived the Sandokan Workouts...

After Can Yaman was detained and later released during an anti-drug raid in Istanbul, the athletic trainer who worked with him on Sandokan spoke out: “To keep up with eight hours a day in the gym, you need a level of discipline that leaves no room for slip-ups.”

Can Yaman, a symbol of the success of Turkish series in Italy, was stopped yesterday, January 10, for checks as part of an investigation into drug use in Istanbul’s nightlife venues. He was then released shortly afterward with no immediate consequences. Despite the quick clarification of his position, the case sparked a media storm that has pushed those who work with him to speak up about his real lifestyle. 

Here are the words of his Sandokan athletic trainer: “He was someone who trained eight hours a day. If you do drugs, you can’t keep up a pace like that.”

The Trainer’s Side of the Story

Pushing back against claims that Can Yaman lives a life of excess is Emiliano Novelli, the athletic trainer who physically transformed him for the series Sandokan. Having spent months working closely with the actor, Novelli explained to Il Messaggero why such allegations don’t align with Yaman’s athletic reality:

“It seems unbelievable to me,” said Emiliano Novelli. “I remember him as an extremely calm person—a true all-around sportsman. Someone who trained for eight hours a day. If you do drugs, you simply can’t keep up with a pace like that,”

“Substance Use? I Would Have Noticed on Set”

According to the trainer’s account, Can Yaman treats caring for his body as an absolute mission, following a strict regimen that leaves no room for any kind of physical impairment. Novelli’s surprise is rooted in his daily observations of the actor’s habits, describing him as a true “fitness purist.”


“He followed a total, strict routine. I never once saw him slip up—because if you slip up, you don’t get abs like that. Athletes often use supplements, amino acids, or protein, but I never saw him take anything. In front of me, he only ever drank still water, at room temperature.”


The trainer also stressed that using substances would have affected the clear-headed focus needed for the complex action choreography filmed for TV: “You can tell if you haven’t slept or if you’re not focused.”

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Une publication partagée par Emiliano Novelli (@emilianonovelli)

Why Can Yaman Was Stopped

The operation took place yesterday, January 10, across nine different clubs in Istanbul, involving several entertainment industry names. Can Yaman was reportedly identified after a tip-off indicating the presence of drugs in venues frequented by VIPs. Taken to the station for routine procedures, the case quickly deflated with the actor’s release. No arrest warrant had been issued against him, but speculation about his private life has not stopped.