[Star Stand] Gulaire: I don t want to be the only hope for Turkish football

To all the children of my beautiful motherland:

It's time to tell you my story. The whole story.

I often think about our future as a football power. I sincerely hope that my journey will inspire you and make you realize that nothing is possible for Turkish boys and girls.

The first time I played FIFA17 - the dream began

Just a few years ago, I was one of you.

It's funny... When I was 12 years old, I was thinking about getting a PS game console. You simply can't understand how much I was eager at that time. I beg my dad every day, and there was only one game I wanted to play at that time - "FIFA 17".

You see, I rarely played video games when I was a kid because I always played football on the street. But one day, a friend of mine bought a PS4 with "FIFA 17", which was the best day in our lives.

When we see Alex Hunter's career mode-poof! Our brains exploded.

Do you still remember Alex Hunter? Some of you may be too young. However, there is a mode called "The Journey" in "FIFA 17", and you play an unknown boy named Alex Hunter. At the beginning, you were unknown and tried hard to be signed by a wealthy club. If you "successfully," they will show you and stars like Cristiano Ronaldo step out of the player's channel.

For us, it is not just a game, but our real dream, just on the console screen. We are addicted to it. Every time we come home from a friend's house, I beg my dad to buy me a PS4.

"I will perform well! I will study hard!"

But you know Turkish parents. For a long time, my dad just said, "Wait a minute, I have to deal with something..."

I didn't quite understand what he meant, but one day when I came home from school, I found a parcel on the kitchen table, a box in the shape of a PS machine.

I'm crazy.

I looked at him as if asking, "Really?!"

He said, "Really."

When I turned it on, there were already many games on the PS machine and no CD needed, which felt unbelievably good. I thought to myself, wait, I only asked my dad to ask for a game before, but now he actually gave me 20?

I asked him, "Hey, dad, have you won the lottery?"

He said, "Actually...I just made a deal."

I asked, "Are you saying in the store?"

He said, "No, no, in the market..."

Then I found that my FIFA has no "journey" mode and I couldn't find Alex Hunter. Some of the names are weird, and when I want to play Cristiano Ronaldo, I have to choose a club called "MD White".

I went back to my dad: "Are you sure you chose the right FIFA? Something is wrong."

He said, "Yes, I'm sure. Have you tried to turn it on and off?"

"Dad..."

"You know what, maybe this is played online."

I just played like this for weeks. I've never played any other football games except FIFA, so to be honest, I thought mine was just a version. But one day, my friends came over to play and they asked me, "Alda...what is this?"

I said, "What do you mean? This is FIFA. No, please, guys, this is a football game!"

They said, "Brother, where is Fenerbahce? What's the matter with these strange names? Your dad was cheated."

They all laughed so hard that they fell back and forth. I wanted to laugh with them, but I felt really embarrassed.

But I don't care if I'm playing fake FIFA. Anyway, I like it very much. I don't need a real court, a real goal, or a new PS machine. Even if my goal post is a stone, I'm very happy.

This is the Turkish mentality.

First wish - Watch a Fenerbahce game on site

Do you understand what I mean? I am not from a wealthy family, nor the son of a football player. I grew up on the first floor of an apartment building in Ankara. My mother was unemployed and her father ran a small shop on the corner of the street just went bankrupt.

Why did it go bankrupt? Well…

Below are the answers to 99 out of 100 questions in Turkish.

Football.

Let's talk about my dad. How much does he love football? I'll tell you.

When I didn't learn to walk, he put the balloons to my left and asked me to kick them, he wanted a left-footed player. He is a supporter of Fenerbahce, who was born for Fenerbahce. He once said that we are flowing with the blood of the Yellow and Blue Legion. I remember one time we scored a goal in a derby and he jumped high on the sofa and smashed the ceiling lights. In 2010, when Fenerbahce missed the league title on his last day, he kicked a box and injured his feet, just like the characters in the cartoon.

Thanks to my dad, from the moment I was born, I was a Fenerbahce, literally Fenerbahce.

My first wish is to watch a game on site.

It is almost impossible to buy tickets online. The children in Istanbul are all wearing designer clothes.

I am still wearing school uniform.

They said, "Arda, what are you doing?"

I quickly said, "Oh, no, I forgot, damn."

I didn't forget, I just had no other excuses.

On the team, I felt more isolated because I was promoted to the level of one year older than me and trained with six or seven local kids who had been in the club for many years, but I was the only one who had the chance to play. Their thoughts were the same: "Why can this Ankara kid come on stage? It must be because of politics or some other insider." They began to exclude me.

Just four months after I came here, our coach said, "Arda, you are our captain."

The local children were very annoyed.

Soon after, the coach said, "Arda, you are our number 10."

They went crazy.

You all know that No. 10 is sacred in Türkiye, even in the U14 national team. The 10th is not only a "creative player", but also our savior.

I feel honored, but also scared. They asked me to lead the team to warm up and make me shout "High up! Sprint!" I don't like it, I'm too shy.

I miss my family.

I dare not tell my dad that I am too proud, it hurts too much. But I knew my family was considering moving, so I told my roommate, "Send my dad a text message to him and tell him that Arda is not in good condition." He asked, "Really?" I said, "Yes, just say I need help." The method worked. After sending that text message, they moved to Istanbul and lived with me. They sold the house, closed the store, left their friends, and bet on their sons for their future.

If I fail, the whole family will be finished.

Thank God, my dad got a job and I can concentrate on playing football. We went to Zagreb to compete in a U17 Championship where the youth camp hung a photo of Modric. A coach grabbed my arm and said, "One day you will be like him."

Wow! As a child, how should you respond to this kind of praise?

Later one day, Fenerbahce summoned me to participate in the first team friendly match.

I was 15 years old at the time and had not even trained with the first team. I remember seeing how strong those old players were, Louis Gustavo…80 kilograms of muscle. Where is me? Nothing is skinny.

I remember it was in August 2021 when Mr. Vittor Pereira called me into the team and let me play the first official game. We played against Helsinki HJK at home, and there were many players in our team injured, and one player had to leave the game in the second half. Mr. Pereira looked at the bench and found that there were three players left.

One of them is a goalkeeper.

The second one is also a goalkeeper.

The third one is a 15-year-old who looks like a caddie.

"Alda, be ready."

The second dream, to score a free kick for Fenerbahce

My heartbeats fast. When playing with PS, only the handle is shaking. In real life, the whole body is shaking! Somehow, I calmed down as soon as I got on the court, and then I remembered my second dream written in my notebook:

scored a free kick for Fenerbahce.

Soon we got a free kick outside the penalty area, but I knew the ball should be taken by Jose Sosa, who is the Argentine master. Unless you are crazy, you are not fighting with Sosa and I may be really crazy.

I stood beside him and prepared to shoot.

I think he was a little shocked. He can't speak Turkish, nor do I speak Spanish, so I asked in English: "Can I kick?"

Sosa said nothing.

I said, "I? Or you?"

Sosa: "..."

"I? You?"

Suddenly, the fans cheered. The camera from the

stadium was aimed at my face. They read from my lips that I wanted to make a free throw, and I think they liked my courage. But what about Sousa?

He is still that man.

He took the free kick.

did not enter.

But I will always remember that moment, and the fans' reactions. After the game, I met my parents outside the stadium and my mother cried.

"Arda, you did it."

Dad said nothing. His eyes were bright, as if smoke was coming out of his ears. I thought to myself, "Dad, are you unhappy?"

He said, "Sosa...why didn't he let you play?"

"But dad..."

"You will definitely kick in. I know!"

There are only two things that are more important than football. You know, people say that Turkish fans are "passionate", but this word is not enough. I'll tell you a little story first.

Once, a friend of mine who supported Fenerbahce went to watch the derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. He takes medicine every day, and when the referee’s penalty kick fails, he looks around for something to throw, do you know? Aquarius, chocolate bar... anything is OK. He found nothing and grabbed the bottle of medicine in his pocket.

He stared at it intently. He knew he needed medicine because he was suffering from a chronic disease. But he hated Galatasaray so strongly that in the end, he couldn't help it.

He threw the medicine bottle on the court.

Later that day, he wandered the streets of Istanbul for several hours just to find a drugstore.

I think only the Turks can understand this story.

Without Galatasaray, there would be no Fenerbahce - this is an eternal competition and an eternal friendship. But if you are a Fenerbahce fan, you will be against everything about Galatasaray. That's it.

During this period, I have to remain calm. All my friends told me to be careful because in this game the wind direction changes rapidly and my first mistake could ruin everything. My dad kept reading all the comments in the newspaper in case of negative news.

My mother said, "Negative things? How could anyone not love you?"

Whenever we play at home, people walk to the stands to thank her, and she always cry. Of course she was happy when I scored, but what if anyone congratulated her on raising a good kid? That makes more sense for her than scoring 100 goals for Fenerbahce.

Kids, remember this. There are only two things that matter more than football—God and family.

Especially mothers.

I will never forget the call I received in August 2022.

"Alda...your mother. Something went wrong with her heart and she had just had first aid surgery."

Hearing this, football disappeared from your mind. Your world begins to spin, and you feel a lump deep in your stomach. The doctor had to replace a valve on her heart, and as she was preparing for the operation, she lay in bed watching me score twice in the game against Caspassa. My family sent me a video where she watched me celebrate the goal and started crying. After returning to the locker room, I opened the video and was so scared that I was scattered. Only those who are about to die will make that cry.

I cried too, I really thought she was about to die.

The next day, I told the club that I would not participate in the next game, and this was the first time in my life that I didn’t even want to touch the ball.

Thank goodness Fenerbahce is awesome. They gave me rest time and Chairman Ali Kochi also made sure we got the best doctors. The operation went smoothly and my mother recovered.

No matter what you do, family is always the most important thing. More than two months after the operation, I scored a goal against Dynamo Kiev, and I pulled up my jersey and showed a message:

"Mom, I love you very much"

(I will always be like this)

The third dream: Become the No. 10 player of Fenerbahce

At that time, I had realized my third dream: Become the No. 10 player of Fenerbahce.

I never thought this would happen. In 2022, when Fenerbahce's No. 10 jersey was vacated, I thought this jersey would belong to our newly signed player. I was only 17 years old at that time and it was impossible for me to take the initiative to get the No. 10 jersey, just like the King could not take the initiative to get the crown. But the board members told me: "Arda, this jersey is yours...provided that you have to have the confidence to wear it."

It only takes a second to make a decision.

"I want it."

When I first put on that jersey... I didn't even know how to describe that feeling. I'm not just following the footsteps of my predecessors. I also shoulder the heavy responsibility of the entire team and millions of fans. This is an honor, an honor, a dream.

Arda Guillair, No. 10 player of Fenerbahce.

It's almost like winning a trophy.

When I put on that jersey, I felt invincible.

This additional responsibility makes every goal meaningful. Two weeks after the game against Dynamo Kiev, I was browsing on Instagram and saw a title:

"Arda Guelier is selected for the Turkish national team"

No one even told me. The first game I played was against Scotland at Diyabaker and when I was on the bench, the fans shouted to let me play, and that support meant a lot to me. Sometimes when I was on the bench at Fenerbahce, even the opponent's fans sang and asked the coach to let me play. I've never seen such a scene. What else can I say? Only thanks. Everything is moving very fast after

. In March, I was called again for the Turkish national team.

The fourth dream - joining Real Madrid

In the next few months, transfer invitations are coming.

But unless it is a team I really want to go to, I don't want to know anything. Then in June, my dad said he needed to call me and talk about a new proposal.

I said, "I told you that I don't want to know unless...."

He said, "Arda..."

"Huh?"

"This time it's Real Madrid."

The Emperor-Home-Mad-Ri... This is my fourth dream. I felt incredible that all this happened so quickly. That summer, my dad and I had many long talks on whether I should leave Fenerbahce. Actually, the situation was very complicated at that time because we received too many other invitations, and it was difficult for me to decide what to do. But then I had a video call with Mr. Carlo Ancelotti.

I will never forget the moment his number appears on my screen, the video is loading...

"Hello, Alda. How are you?"

He was on vacation too, and that moment felt too unreal, and it was hard for me to remember the details, but I remember he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and probably a cigar in his mouth.

He said: "Arda, you will have a bright future here. Maybe not in the first year, but you will get a chance. When Modric and Kroos are older, we can let you play in the midfield."

Hearing my name appear side by side with Modric and Kroos' names, it feels too unreal. I can't even speak.

Then he said, "Arda, promise me, you will come to Madrid. Promise me, promise me, promise me. ”

I said, “Of course, sir. ”

He said: “We will negotiate soon, now I really... have to go find my wife. ”

Hahaha.

After hanging up the phone, I looked at dad and we agreed…

"If you are going to be drowned..."

"Drowned in the sea. ”

When you appear as a Real Madrid player, it feels like you are attending a wedding. The contract is six years, but the goal of both parties is to be together for life. I sat next to my parents and my mom started crying, I wiped her tears and kissed her cheeks.

To be here, we gave up a lot, and now our dream is fulfilled.

I am too poor and have no money to play Alex Hunter on a PS machine.

So I have to really be him.

"Please, this is not Raul"

From the beginning, Ancelotti was like my father. It's interesting that he would joke with me and say all kinds of things, and I was a kid at the time, with big eyes, trying to fit into the biggest club in the world. I would never guess when he was serious.

One day, Ancelotti said: "Ruel is the head coach of the Castilla team. If you see him, say hello to him. You know Raul, right? ”

Of course I know Raul. He is the captain and the best scorer. He is a legend living.

After the training the next day, a guy came to us. Ancelotti said: "Arda, this is Raul." "

But the problem is that the first time I saw these legendary stars in my own eyes, it didn't feel real at all, like fake. I'm too young to have never seen Raul play in Real Madrid. I only saw him on YouTube.

Ancelotti laughed, and I was thinking, no, he was joking with me again.

I said, "Please, sir." Sorry, this is not Raul. ”

I thought Ancelotti would smile and say “beautiful job” or something, but he looked at me expressionlessly and said, “What do you mean, he is not Raul? ”

Then Raul turned to me and said, “I am Raul Gonzalez. Nice to meet you. ”

I said, “You are not. Please. ”

They could not believe what they heard. This continued for a few minutes, and then Ancelotti called Tony Cross.

"Tony, is this Raul? ”

"What? certainly. ”

I still don’t believe it. This is a huge joke, so I don’t want to be fooled.

Then he called Modric!

"Luca, is this Raul? "

" of course it's Raul. ”

Now I am starting to be scared.

Even Raul looked at me, as if saying, “Of course it’s Raul. ”

They started to flip out Raul's photos on their phones. I finally gave up and said, "Okay, sorry." You are really Raul. Very happy to meet you, sir. ”

Everyone was laughing at the boy from Turkey, and even Mr. Ancelotti was laughing at him.

When I got home and told my family what happened, they looked at me and said:

"Alda...you are so stupid." ”

This is my first week in Real Madrid.

A good start, Arda.

The moment when "arriving" Real Madrid

When I first arrived, I found that David Alaba and Tony Rudiger could speak some Turkish. They grew up in Vienna and Berlin with Turkish immigrants, who were a die-hard fan of Galatasaray. Courtois and Alaba Erda Turan played together, so he also knew some Turkish, especially those swear words.

But it was strange because you know, in Turkey, we all use respectful names for our predecessors. We would say "Abi", literally brother, which is already in our culture. I can't just call Modric "Luka". He could be my father at the age.

So I said, "Hello, Luka Abi. ”

Well… Alaba and Rudiger thought that everyone was called Abi in Turkish, including me.

They began to say hello to me: “Good morning, Abi. ”

The name has been decided, and it is too late to change it now. My official name is Alda Abi, the youngest brother in the locker room.

Usually, when you score the first key goal or give the first decisive pass, you feel like you have "arrived" to a club, which means you will be recognized for it. And the moment I "arrived" to Real Madrid was when we got a free kick outside the penalty area, when I was sitting on the bench. Modric turned around and said to me, "Hey, Alda, this free kick position is too perfect for you. ”

Little things like this mean a lot.

There is another game recently, and we were behind in the half, and Modric told me, “Be prepared, you need to play.” ”

This legendary player is one of the best midfielders of all time, and now he believes I can turn the game around.

I am really moved.

I know the Turks want me to play every game for Real Madrid, and so do I, but I know I have to be patient. When Ancelotti said I could be one of the best midfielders in the world, it shows that the club has a plan for me.

But it is not easy to sit on the bench. When we won the Champions League, I actually didn't want to lift the trophy because I didn't contribute much to the stadium. So when Ancelotti gave me a microphone at Piazza Siberes, I was so shy. I didn't plan to go to the roof of the bus at all because I was too tired, and I remember two friends texting me: "Where are you?" We didn't see you. ”

I was chatting with Kroos and Modric downstairs. Modric asked me if Mourinho was going to Fenerbahce. My friends all said, “Are you crazy? You just won the Champions League! Go up and celebrate! "

That's what I am. Winning the championship is not enough, I have to feel worthy of it.

"Gueraire challenged Cristiano"

This is why the European Cup feels so different. When I scored a goal against Georgia, my phone exploded. Likes, fans, comments, congratulations... it was crazy.

against Portugal, I was a little nervous. I hope Ronaldo can talk to me after the game because I respect him very much. On the day of the game, the front page of "Marca" published such a prominent title:

"Guerai Al challenged Cristiano”

Oh, no...

To be honest, I am honored to compete with Ronaldo. Have you ever seen "The Last Dance"? Ronaldo is like Michael Jordan. News like this is like a driving force to him. Portugal won 3-0, and he didn't talk to anyone after the game.

A few days later I understood how he felt because on the bus to the stadium, I saw a video of a group of Austrian fans.

They asked, "Who is the damn Alda Guillair? ”

I was shocked. Why do anyone say that?

Later I remembered that when Mr. Jorge Jesus was coaching at Fenerbahce, I had not been able to play for several weeks. One day, he arranged two groups of people to practice free kicks, but I didn’t play either, and I played corner kick alone. It was raining heavily, and when I got home, I cried. I swear, I won’t feel this way again.

People think I am a creative player, but I am also a fighter. Scholars.

You let me sit on the bench? I will work harder.

Do you dare to say bad things about me? I will "smash you" on the court.

When I saw that video from Austrian fans, I empathized with Ronaldo. We met Austria in the Euro 8th final, and the Austrian fans kept singing songs about me during the game, and they threw beer glasses at me.

Perfect!

When I assisted my teammates to score our second goal, I turned to Austria Levitra fans.

Thank you.

I treat this as a personal matter for me.

When we lost in the quarterfinals, I worry that people in my hometown will blame us, but they have witnessed the hardships of our struggle for our country. In Turkey, character determines everything. Rudiger told me that he noticed my passion and anger. When Rudiger said "angry", he meant good. I always shouted to command my teammates when I played football, even in Fenerbah Tsk, I was the same when I was a kid. I can’t do it, if I stop, I will be bad. I want to be a leader, I want to take corners and free kicks, it’s always the case, just ask Mr. Sousa.

Playing at Real Madrid is actually easy. You know Modric will help you find the rhythm. Vinicius can make even bad passes great. The hard thing is to learn Spanish, adapt to local culture, and be down-to-earth. My family comes to me once a month and my mom still reminds me I cleaned the room, and it was all good. She always said that if I weren't a footballer, we would have had big trouble. Thankfully, the refrigerator was full.

After leaving Ankara, I kept remembering the people who helped me get here, far more than 20. Mom, dad, sister, my friends, my coach, my chairman, physical education teacher Mahmoud, and the doctors who saved my mom's life...

No matter who you are, you can't I did it alone.

Don't want to be the only hope for Turkish football

Earlier this year I just turned 20 and I have more dreams in my notebook: I want to be a major player in Real Madrid, I want to win the Champions League, I want to be the No. 10 player of this club.

The most important thing is that I want to set an example for a new generation of Turkish players.

I know I am the hope for Turkish football, but I don't want to be the only hope, I want to open big for everyone Door.

This means you are reading this letter.

When I returned to my home in Turkey and found that you were so happy to see me, I was so excited. The songs still linger in my ears and I can feel your love in Madrid.

There was a video shocked me during the 2023 earthquake, when I was in Fenerbahce, I didn't get much chance to play. Two rescue team members accompanied a little boy who had just been dug out of the ruins. The boy was lying, covered with his body and his head was exposed . The boy stayed under the cement block for nearly five days and thought he was about to die. He had something to say to me.

For me! That's the moment!

I will never forget these words:

"Alda Guillair Abi

I love you so much

Continue to save Fenerbahce

Abi Please tell the coach to let you go"

Then one of the two heroes said:

"He has not given up, and you shouldn't give up. ”

What should I do when I hear these words?

So every Turkish child with a PS machine and dream, please grab a ball and run outside. You will feel like you have the whole world.

Sincerely

—Arda