🇹🇷⚽️. Follow me! | DM for inquiries 📩.
Joined August 2020
- Tweets31.3K
- Following34
- Followers17.2K
- Likes9.9K
🇹🇷🇱🇮 Olcay Gür, former Liechtenstein international
🗣️ “I couldn’t help myself. Before the match, I sang along to the Turkish National Anthem too.”
🇹🇷🇱🇮 Cengiz Biçer
🗣️ “I’m Turkish. Of course, in my heart I wanted to play for Türkiye, but Liechtenstein were the only ones who made me an offer.”
🇹🇷🇹🇼 Onur Doğan
🗣️ “Çanakkale is my hometown. It’s in western Türkiye, near Greece. You know Troy? That’s where I’m from.
When I was six, my mother took me to trials at Çanakkale Dardanel.
My dream was to become a professional footballer. That’s how my football journey began.”
🇹🇷 On his favourite football club:
🗣️ “My favourite football club in the world is Galatasaray.
My family have always been Galatasaray supporters, ever since I was a child.
I also really admire Gheorghe Hagi. I loved watching him play. He used his intelligence and footballing brain. For me, he was the best midfielder.”
🇹🇷 On Turkish mentality:
🗣️ “In Turkish culture, we believe that the beginning of anything is very important.
If you start something well, the rest will follow.”
🇹🇼 On why he represents Taiwan:
🗣️ “I never played for the Turkish National Team.”
🇹🇼 On the Taiwanese Football Association:
🗣️ “I didn’t feel good because nobody could tell me whether I was allowed to play.
The night before my first match, my teammates told me I could play. At breakfast, the coach confirmed it.
Then, at three in the afternoon, I was told I probably couldn’t play after all.
Only an hour and a half before kick-off did I finally receive confirmation.”
🗣️ “The Taiwanese Football Association didn’t seem to understand how to handle the process for naturalised players.
They even told me to make an international phone call to the Turkish Football Federation myself to request the necessary documents.
The Turkish Football Federation is a very large and important organisation. They weren’t going to respond to me.”
🇹🇷🇹🇼 On the difference between Turkish and Taiwanese football:
🗣️ “Türkiye has had professional football for around 100 years.
Istanbul alone has more than 40 football clubs.
Taiwan has far fewer.
Many Taiwanese coaches still rely on old-fashioned training methods.
They seem to believe that spending more hours training or making players run more, automatically makes them better footballers.
That’s not how football training works. It’s about using the right methods and being efficient.
There’s another problem with national team selection. Coaches form their own groups and often select players they’ve worked with.
Look at Europe. National teams select players who are performing well for their clubs.”
🇹🇼 On unequal treatment within the national team:
🗣️ “The federation told us they didn’t have much money, so I agreed to receive the same pay as the other Taiwanese players.
But then we discovered that a newcomer was receiving more money than even the national team captain.
We felt that was unfair and raised the issue with coach Gary White.
Later, before the match against Singapore, he wanted me to play again.
But when we discussed my contract, he told me that because I hadn’t played for a while, he didn’t know what level I was at anymore.
He wanted me to go through a trial before discussing a contract.
I’d already proven myself for the national team and at club level.
Anyone in that situation would feel angry and disrespected.
That’s why I withdrew from that match.”
🇹🇼 On adapting to life in Taiwan:
🗣️ “The cultures were completely different.
Some things were incredibly frustrating for me because they went against what I was used to.”
🇹🇼 On his family and representing Taiwan:
🗣️ “Knowing that my friends in Türkiye and elsewhere can watch me giving everything on the pitch makes it special.”
🇹🇷🇲🇰 Eljif Elmas 🗣️
“I am Turkish. The Turkish fans in Germany always support me and show me so much love.
I was born in Skopje, and North Macedonia, the country where I was born, has given me a lot. But I am of Turkish descent.
My father is from Tetovo. My family originally came from the Kütahya region during the Ottoman period. We still have relatives in Bursa and İzmir.”
“I am a Turk. I had an offer from Türkiye, and I really would’ve liked to accept it, but as you know there was a chance that they [Northern Macedonia] would’ve made it difficult for me and punish me.
I was then forced to choose Northern Macedonia.”
🇹🇷 On why he chose North Macedonia instead of Türkiye:
“Before Türkiye played North Macedonia in Skopje on 5 June 2017, Fatih Terim wanted me to play for the Turkish national team, but it didn’t happen.
Then North Macedonia called me up. I was sent to the U21 team, and on 11 June I made my debut for the senior national team.
At the time, if I hadn’t accepted North Macedonia’s offer, there was a possibility that I wouldn’t have been allowed to play abroad for two years.
It was a really difficult decision.”
🇹🇷 On his love for Türkiye and his dream of living there:
“There’s nothing about Türkiye I don’t know. I’ve studied its history and taken Turkish lessons. I also know a lot about Istanbul.
Even before my transfer, I dreamed of living in Türkiye with my family.
When Fenerbahçe first made an offer, I thought my dream was about to come true.
I used to visit Türkiye very often. We have many relatives there, in Kütahya, Bursa and Eskişehir.”
🇹🇷 On the difference between Macedonian and Turkish football:
“Football in Macedonia is completely different from football in Türkiye. Think of it as a lower division.
I had to work incredibly hard to get from Macedonia to a footballing country. I worked hard and made it.
This is how I see it: In Macedonia, I was at minus ten. When I joined Fenerbahçe, I reached zero.
I’m still at zero. I’m starting everything from scratch. But now I have the opportunity to reach plus ten or plus twenty because I’m at a huge club with everything I need to succeed.”
🇹🇷 On Turkish football supporters:
“I’ve never seen fans as passionate as the ones in Türkiye.
I’ve played in the Champions League and in big matches, but I’ve never experienced the same football atmosphere anywhere else.
Nothing compares to the Turkish league, especially the derbies involving Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.
I’ve played in many stadiums, but I’ve never seen fans create an atmosphere like Turkish supporters do.
That’s why Türkiye will always be number one for me when it comes to football atmosphere.”
🇹🇷 Eljif Elmas during the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023:
“My beloved country, I’m so sorry.
Everyone should do whatever they can. We’ll get through these difficult days together.
Türkiye is my country and I will do my part.
Hand in hand, we’ll overcome this.”
🇹🇷 In another message, announcing his efforts to raise funds with Napoli:
“I’m very sad for my country.
I’m trying to do everything I can. Besides the donations already being made, we’re planning to raise money together as a Napoli team.
God willing, we’ll send it to Türkiye as soon as possible.
We’re asking for your support.”
🇹🇷 On where he wants to live and finish his career:
“I’m thinking about living in Türkiye.
I also want to finish my football career in Türkiye.”
🇹🇷 After facing Türkiye with North Macedonia in June 2026:
“It’s been seven years since I last came to Kadıköy. The atmosphere was great.
All the players in the Turkish national team play at a high level.
They’re a step ahead of us.
I think Türkiye can reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.”
🇹🇷 On his future:
“I love Türkiye very much.
I want to live in Istanbul in the future.
God willing, I hope I’ll play in Türkiye again one day.”
🇹🇷🇲🇰 Muarem Muarem
🗣️ “I already wear the Macedonian national team jersey, but if I had the opportunity, I would love to wear the jersey of Türkiye.”
🇹🇷 Muarem Muarem on Turkish football 🗣️
“The Turkish Süper Lig is a very strong league.
I also have a Turkish passport. If I make the transfer, I will be able to play as a domestic player.
Money is not my priority. This would be a very important step for my career.
I don’t want to move to Türkiye for money. I love the Süper Lig and I want to play there.
The transfer only fell through because the clubs couldn’t agree on the transfer fee.”
🇲🇰 Muarem Muarem on football in Macedonia 🗣️
“We have footballing quality in Macedonia, but we are very far behind when it comes to the necessary conditions.
In Azerbaijan, almost every club has its own training facilities with two pitches.
Players are coming from strong leagues such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and France, and the league continues to improve every year.
There are many good footballers in Macedonia, but unfortunately, the infrastructure that is so important for developing players is missing.”
🇹🇷🇦🇿🇩🇪 Uğur Pamuk
🗣️ “I am Turkish.
If anyone wants proof of my roots, I can provide it.
My grandfather came from Ganja in Azerbaijan and moved to Iğdır in Türkiye, where my father was born. My family later moved from Türkiye to Germany, where I was born.”
🇹🇷🇩🇪🇦🇿 Tuğrul Erat
🗣️ “I was born in Nettetal, Germany and I am Turkish through and through.
As a child, I mainly followed the Turkish Süper Lig.
Of course, I also watched the Bundesliga, but my focus was always on Turkish football.”
🇹🇷🇦🇿 Tuğrul Erat on representing Azerbaijan
🗣️ “I don’t really see a big difference between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
On paper, they are two different countries, but they are one people.
The two countries are like brother nations. The people understand and speak Turkish.
In 2013, I received an invitation to Azerbaijan’s U21 national team.
I thought about the decision for a few days because, deep down, I had been hoping for an invitation to the Turkish national team.
But the opportunity to play international football was very tempting and everything happened very quickly with Azerbaijan.”
🇹🇷 Tuğrul Erat on his international opportunities
🗣️ “I didn’t have a chance to establish myself as a national-team player for Türkiye.
I chose Azerbaijan because it gave me the opportunity to gain international experience.”
🇹🇷🇦🇿🇩🇪 Cihan Özkara
🗣️ “I don’t have three nationalities. I only have: Turkish (Türkiye and Azerbaijan).
I was actually a candidate for the youth national teams of both Germany and Türkiye.
However, my club at the time, Rot Weiss Ahlen, refused to release me.
We were fighting against relegation from Germany’s second division and the club didn’t want to let me go.
Choosing Azerbaijan wasn’t an easy decision. My family and I made that decision together.
Azerbaijan’s head coach Berti Vogts introduced me to the Azerbaijani Football Federation.
Then Azerbaijan U21 head coach Bernhard Lippert called me ahead of the European Championship qualifiers.
After that, I decided to represent Azerbaijan.”
🇹🇷🇦🇿 Mert Çelik
🗣️ “I played for Türkiye’s U19 and U20 national teams.
Then I received an invitation from Azerbaijan’s U21 national team.
I thought choosing Azerbaijan would be the better decision for my career.
I represent Azerbaijan as a Turkish player.
When I came to Azerbaijan, there were Turkish and Azerbaijani flags hanging in windows everywhere. Seeing that made me genuinely happy.
I already knew how close Türkiye and Azerbaijan were, but experiencing it myself made me incredibly proud.
Living in Baku feels just like living in Istanbul.”
🇹🇷 Mert Çelik on Türkiye playing at Euro 2020 in Baku
🗣️ “I’m very excited because I was fortunate enough to represent Türkiye at youth level.
Now the senior national team has come to Baku.
I hope we win today.
Baku is home to the Turkish National Team. We are one nation, two states.
The entire stadium will be supporting Türkiye.
I believe Türkiye can win their matches in Baku and qualify from the group.”
🇹🇷🇫🇮 Kaan Kairinen
🗣️ “Yes, I have Turkish roots. My father passed away when I was five years old.
At one point, there were discussions about me representing Türkiye.
I’m proud of my Turkish ancestry.”
🇹🇷🇸🇪 Erkan Zengin
🗣️ “There aren’t many things I regret.
But perhaps I could have served the Turkish National Team instead of Sweden.
That’s the one thing. That’s all.
I played for Türkiye at U15, U16 and U17 level.
But I also had school and with so many matches and all the travelling, the national team camps became exhausting.
So after discussing it with my family, I decided to represent Sweden at U21 level.
When it came to the senior national team, Sweden invited me several times, but I didn’t accept.
At that point, I hadn’t received an offer from Türkiye.
Only after I had chosen Sweden did Türkiye’s senior national team contact me. But by then, it was too late.”
🇹🇷 Abdullah Avcı, Türkiye’s former national team manager
🗣️ “I personally spoke to Erkan. He was very happy and told me he would gladly play for Türkiye.
We arranged his Turkish passport and submitted the necessary documents to FIFA.
But shortly afterwards, he informed us that his father wanted him to represent Sweden instead.
We respected his decision and withdrew the documents. Otherwise, his move to the Swedish national team would have become complicated.”
🇹🇷🇩🇪 Emre Can 🗣️
“Both my parents are Turkish. They raised me with Turkish traditions and values, and I look more Turkish than German.
I am very proud of my Turkish roots.
We always speak Turkish at home.
I still have very strong ties to Türkiye. My uncle and grandparents live there, and I visit them in Anatolia once or twice a year.
My family comes from Afyon. It’s a beautiful place with wonderful landscapes, amazing food and incredibly hospitable people.
My mother has a Turkish passport.
I remember an incident involving my mother on a flight to Germany. She was wearing a hijab, and a man refused to let my parents sit together, even when my friend politely asked him.
I believe he refused because my mother was wearing a hijab. I considered that racist.
Racism doesn’t just happen in Italy. It happens in Germany.
I feel that performances abroad are sometimes perceived and judged differently in Germany.
Choosing Germany never changed the fact that I am Turkish.”
Gökhan İnler 🗣️
“Türkiye is my country.”
🇹🇷🇨🇭 Gökhan İnler
🗣️ “Türkiye is my country. My family comes from Türkiye. My father was from Tekirdağ, and my mother’s family is from Samsun.
I was born and raised in Switzerland because my father moved there for work, but my father, my uncles, my friends and I all grew up with a love for Türkiye.
I wanted to play for Türkiye so badly.
When I was a child, I once travelled two and a half hours to Sion just to watch Türkiye’s U21 national team. I was so proud to see them. My dream was to wear that jersey myself one day.
I even told the Swiss media that I wanted to represent Türkiye.
Then Reha Kapsal called me up for Türkiye’s U21 team. I was incredibly proud. I played the second half against Scotland and thought I had performed well. I expected another opportunity.
But they never called me again. There were important qualification matches coming up, and I wasn’t included.
When I arrived at the Turkish U21 camp, certain things happened that I don’t want to go into too much detail about. I felt I was treated differently by the players and coaches. I had mixed feelings about the experience.
I returned to Zürich, and that was it. Nobody contacted me again.
I was deeply disappointed because I wanted to play for my homeland. I had waited for Türkiye.
Then Switzerland’s head coach, Köbi Kuhn, personally came to my training session and spoke to me. He told me:
‘I know Türkiye hasn’t called you up. But I want to give you an opportunity. I want you in the senior national team.’
Of course I would have preferred to play for Türkiye. Even today, I would have loved to have represented Türkiye. But back then, I wasn’t given the recognition I hoped for.
When people later told me, ‘If only things had been different,’ I thought: You should have done something about it back then.
I wanted to wear Türkiye’s senior national team jersey, but it wasn’t meant to be. If I had played for Türkiye, it would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, we can’t change the past.
At Euro 2008, I had to play against Türkiye while representing Switzerland.
It was incredibly emotional. Even from my hotel room, I could hear the Turkish supporters chanting ‘Türkiye’. It gave me goosebumps.
I was so nervous in the tunnel before the match.
Years later, I was still sad thinking about it. Perhaps I could have been on the other side, wearing Türkiye’s jersey.
My childhood dream was also to play for Beşiktaş. I used to watch their matches with my father at a café near our home in Switzerland. I loved those moments. They gave me goosebumps.
Coming to Türkiye and finally playing for Beşiktaş was something very special for me.
Whenever I visited Türkiye, one of the first things I did was visit my father’s grave in Tekirdağ.
I’ve admired Turkish football supporters since I was a child. Their passion is incredible. Even when Trabzonspor were losing heavily against Napoli, their fans continued supporting the team.
These are opportunities to show the world what Türkiye is like and Turkish supporters represent their country wonderfully.
I was very proud of the reception I received in Türkiye. Having a Turkish family makes me feel special.
Turkish football has enormous potential, but we have to give our young players opportunities. In Switzerland, talented youngsters are supported and developed. In Türkiye, a young player can lose his place after a single defeat.
We have millions of people and so many talented children. Why aren’t we developing more footballers who can represent our country in Europe?
That’s why I established the İnler Soccer Academy in Türkiye. I want to help talented children who don’t have the necessary opportunities and open doors for them in European football.
There are incredibly talented young players in Türkiye. If an opportunity arises at Udinese, I would absolutely like to convince the president to bring a Turkish footballer to the club.”
Eren Derdiyok 🗣️
“I would’ve wanted to play for Türkiye.”
🇹🇷🇨🇭 Eren Derdiyok
🗣️ “I was born and raised in Switzerland, but we never forget our roots.
Türkiye is the country my parents come from, and I speak Turkish. We grew up with Turkish culture.
The Swiss senior national team approached me.
There was no offer from Türkiye’s senior national team.
At that level, I didn’t really have a choice. Switzerland made me an offer and I accepted it.
IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE CHOICE, I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO PLAY FOR THE TURKISH NATIONAL TEAM. 🇹🇷
If Türkiye had approached me first, I definitely would have considered it.
After I had already chosen Switzerland, we played against Türkiye at EURO 2008.
Even though we were the hosts, there were more Turkish supporters in the stadium.
Arda Turan scored the winning goal for Türkiye in the final minute.
After the match, I honestly didn’t know whether I should be sad or happy.
We were eliminated, but OUR HEARTS WERE BEATING FOR TÜRKİYE.
There are many Turkish players representing other countries. Personally, I’m proud of them.
🇹🇷🇩🇪 Mesut Özil won the World Cup with Germany. ONE OF US achieved that. That’s something beautiful.
But of course, it would have been even better if we could have had some of those Turkish players representing OUR NATIONAL TEAM.
There are people who call players traitors because they represent another country.
But we’re not traitors.
We have players in Switzerland whose brothers represent other national teams. That doesn’t mean they’ve turned their backs on where they come from.
In the end, we are representing our countries of origin as well.”
🇹🇷 Eren Derdiyok on Turkish football
🗣️ “Turkish football has developed a lot.
Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe have taken important steps in European competitions.
The Turkish league has enormous potential.
I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to play for a great club like Galatasaray. I experienced wonderful moments there.
Türkiye was particularly attractive to me because of my family roots.”
Eray Cömert 🗣️
“I played at the World Cup, as a Turk.”
🇹🇷🇨🇭 Eray Cömert
🗣️ “Of course, I was also proud to be playing at a World Cup AS A TURK.
My roots are still in Türkiye and I felt that I was able to represent Türkiye to some extent as well.
I felt the support of Turkish fans and received messages from Türkiye. I want to thank everyone for that.
I hope Türkiye will qualify for the upcoming major tournaments. The Turkish national team has enormous potential, with many young and talented players and a very good coach.
I have relatives in Erzincan, in eastern Türkiye. My grandparents came from Türkiye to Switzerland, but our family name was incorrectly recorded as Cümart. We always wanted to correct it, and eventually we were able to restore our real surname: Cömert.”
🇹🇷 Eray Cömert on why he chose Switzerland over Türkiye:
🗣️ “I have played for Switzerland since the youth national teams, all the way up to the senior national team.
Türkiye first noticed me when I was playing at U16/U17 level, but they didn’t show much interest.
Later, when I became a professional footballer, I was captain of Switzerland’s U21 team and was close to making the step up to the senior national team.
That’s when Türkiye wanted me for their U21 team.
To be honest, TÜRKİYE DISAPPOINTED ME.
They wanted me to join the U21 team first, fight for my place and prove myself with good performances.
They brought me a Turkish national team shirt.
I thought my name would be written on the back, but it was ARDA TURAN’S NAME.
I don’t want to disrespect Arda or his career, but if you want to convince a Turkish player to represent your country, you put HIS name on the shirt, not another player’s.
I thought about it a lot.
Why should I go there and start from zero when I was already captain of Switzerland’s U21 team and on the verge of joining the senior national team?
They spoke to me once.
After that conversation, they never came back to me. They made no further attempt to contact me…
Türkiye didn’t make much of an effort to convince me anymore.”
🇹🇷 Eray Cömert on Turkish clubs:
🗣️ “Yes, it’s true that Galatasaray and Beşiktaş were interested in me. There were offers and discussions took place through my agent.”
🇹🇷 Eray Cömert on the Turkish national team:
🗣️ “Türkiye have an extremely young and talented team, with some experienced players as well.
Türkiye have shown good performances in recent years.
I consider Türkiye a very good opponent.”
Ianis Hagi 🗣️
“Türkiye never made an offer.”
🇹🇷🇷🇴 Ianis Hagi
🗣️ “I was born in Istanbul. I would go to Galatasaray. There is a real team spirit there.
It’s something special for me to give my first press conference in Türkiye, the country where I was born.
I would love to play here. I know what the Hagi name means to Türkiye and to Galatasaray, a great club that has won European trophies.
I don’t know what the future holds. Never say never.
I really want to play for Galatasaray. It’s a club I love. I grew up with it, I was born there, and I feel attached to this club.
Unfortunately, I never learned Turkish. I was three years old when we left, and I spent another year there when my father was the coach, but I didn’t pick up many words.
It’s definitely special to return to Istanbul and play in the city where I was born. We have so many wonderful memories here as a family.
Istanbul means so much to my family and me.
I’m very happy to have returned HOME, to the country where I was born. It’s an emotional moment for me and an important step in my career.
Türkiye has one of the strongest football leagues in the world. There are extraordinary teams, a lot of investment and tremendous passion for football.
I understand the expectations and the legacy my father left behind here.
From the moment I arrived, I felt the love and trust of the people. I felt wanted, and that gives me enormous motivation.”
🇹🇷 Ianis Hagi on whether the Turkish Football Federation ever approached him about representing Türkiye
🗣️ “No, they never contacted me.”
🇷🇴🇹🇷 Gheorghe Hagi, Ianis’s father, on Turkish and Romanian football
🗣️ “You can’t talk about a crisis in Turkish football. So many stadiums have been built, the infrastructure is extraordinary, quality players are brought in and football is incredibly loved.
In Romania, my highest salary is €5,000. My entire club’s budget is what a big player in Türkiye used to earn.
And we still won the league and played in European competitions.
A crisis in Türkiye? Maybe in Romania, where there is no money!”
Malik Fathi
“Türkiye was always my dream”
🇹🇷🇩🇪 Malik Fathi
🗣️ “I chose Germany because I never received an offer from the Turkish national team.
My father is Turkish and I have always maintained a close relationship with him and my siblings.
I started taking Turkish lessons because I felt it was something missing from my life.
I love listening to Turkish music. People often approach me and speak Turkish and I want to be able to answer them myself.
I visited my relatives in Türkiye.
I’m determined to learn.
I closely follow the Turkish Süper Lig. There are some very good clubs, such as Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.
Türkiye also has a very strong national team. They proved their quality by finishing third at the 2002 World Cup.
I really hope Türkiye qualifies for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. There are so many Turkish people living here, and the presence would make the tournament even more exciting.
Look at Nuri Şahin.
IT IS COMPLETELY NATURAL FOR A TURKISH PLAYER TO CHOOSE THE TURKISH NATIONAL TEAM.
IF I RECEIVE AN OFFER FROM TÜRKİYE, I WOULD GLADLY ACCEPT IT.
My connection to Türkiye has always remained.
I have a German passport and played twice for the German national team. At the same time, I spent a lot of time with my Turkish father.
Germany faced Türkiye at EURO 2008.
The Turkish team had come from behind to win three matches at the very last moment.
THE TURKS ARE UNBEATABLE WHEN IT COMES TO MENTALITY.
Our greatest strength is the unpredictability.
I always wanted to experience living in Türkiye, learn the language and get to know the culture better.
That’s one of the reasons why moving to Kayserispor appealed to me.
I’m learning Turkish and I’ve made good progress.
I can absolutely imagine staying in Türkiye.
And regarding the Turkish national team, I’m still open to representing them.
BUT NOBODY HAS CONTACTED ME YET.”
🤦♂️🇹🇷 Fatih Terim, Türkiye’s head coach in 2006, on Malik Fathi:
🗣️ “I only heard about Malik Fathi when he was called up to the German national team.
If people knew about him and failed to approach him, that was wrong.
We certainly don’t want to lose these players, especially a left-sided player like him.”
🇹🇷🇸🇪 Erkan Zengin
🗣️ “I am Turkish. I come from a Turkish family, but I chose to represent Sweden.
My grandfather was among the first Turks to immigrate to Sweden. I was born in Kulu, Konya, and my family returned to Sweden when I was just one week old.
I played for Türkiye’s youth national teams. I received 12 call-ups and played eight matches.
When I was younger, travelling alone to Türkiye for national team camps was difficult. I was afraid of flying, and spending two weeks away from my family was hard.
Later, when Sweden’s U21 national team invited me, I accepted.
But if Türkiye and Sweden both offered me the chance to play for their senior national teams, I would of course choose Türkiye. I’ve said that before.”
🇸🇪 Erkan Zengin criticising Sweden’s national team scouting while playing for Eskişehirspor 🗣️
“The Swedish national team doesn’t follow the Turkish league.
Apparently, you need to score 40 goals and provide 40 assists to get called up!
Seriously, it’s crazy. What am I supposed to do to get into the national team?
Nobody has come to watch me. I’m disappointed about that.
Is it because I play in Türkiye? If only they knew how good this league is.
I’m 100% certain I could start for Sweden in my position.”
🇹🇷 Erkan Zengin on why he eventually chose Sweden 🗣️
“Sweden followed me for three years. They kept inviting me to the national team, but I didn’t go.
They even travelled to Eskişehir to watch my matches.
I was called up when I was 20, but I turned down that invitation too.
I kept waiting for an invitation from the Turkish National Team, but it never came…
Then I played that important match against Galatasaray, and suddenly Abdullah Avcı invited me.
Honestly, that invitation upset me.
I had been performing at a very high level in the Turkish league for three years, yet Türkiye hadn’t called me.
Did I really have to play well against Galatasaray to deserve a national team call-up?
Couldn’t they have invited me earlier?
That’s why I wasn’t happy with how that invitation came about.
If I had chosen Türkiye, I believe I would have earned my place in the national team and played regularly.”
🇹🇷🇸🇪 Erkan Zengin responding to criticism of his decision 🗣️
“Nobody opened doors for me. I didn’t play at Beşiktaş. I found myself at Eskişehirspor.
I’ve been performing well here for three years.
I’m already Turkish.”
🇹🇷 Erkan Zengin on potentially facing Türkiye in the Euro 2016 play-offs 🗣️
“I don’t want to face Türkiye.
I want Türkiye to qualify for the European Championship too.
It’s not just because Türkiye would be difficult opponents. I genuinely want Türkiye to be there.”
🇸🇪 Erkan Zengin criticising Swedish football journalism 🗣️
“I haven’t seen a single journalist in Türkiye criticise a national team player. Not one.
They support the players, even when they haven’t performed well.
Here in Sweden, it’s the opposite.
This is the first country I’ve seen where the media bring players down.
I don’t think there should be that kind of criticism when someone is representing Sweden.
With clubs, it’s different. But when you play for the national team, you’re working for your country.”
🇹🇷 Erkan Zengin on the Turkish National Team 🗣️
“I was incredibly proud during the matches against France and Albania.
The Turkish National Team has become an incredible team.
We have young players, experienced players and a completely new energy.
Türkiye have shown us what it means to fight with your heart for the national team.
It’s something that makes me unbelievably proud.
The way Şenol Güneş has brought everyone together is incredible.
I don’t think anyone will be able to stop this team if they continue like this.
I hope Türkiye achieve great things at Euro 2020.”
🇹🇷 Erkan Zengin on the Turkish National Teams’ military-salute celebration 🗣️
“Of course we’re proud.
I would simply do anything for my homeland.”
