Turkey’s national football team, led by ultranationalist Grey Wolves and plagued with ongoing political unrest, has lost much of its appeal amid mounting tensions across the nation. Minutes of silence during games have been met with jeers while players from major Istanbul clubs have participated in protests against Erdogan’s administration.
Rustu Recber and Hakan Sukur led their team to glory at the 2002 World Cup and earned them a bronze medal victory.
History
The Turkish national football team is administered by the Turkey Football Federation, an affiliate member of UEFA. Representing Turkey at international competitions and friendly matches since 1920 shortly after Republic of Turkey’s establishment. Their formation was an important moment in its sporting development while simultaneously creating national unity.
In the 1940s and 50s, national team soccer faced immense difficulties competing at European competitions. Still, during these decades notable players such as Lefter Kucukandonyadis and Metin Oktay emerged.
In the 1970s, the national team saw increasing success. In 1984, it came within one point of qualifying for the World Cup tournament in Germany but ultimately lost to Romania in a final match. Coach Sepp Piontek took over leadership of the team under his guidance; under his tutelage they qualified for Euro 1996 competition.
Though successful, the national team has yet to win a major tournament. However, they managed to finish third at 2002 World Cup and reach the semi-finals at UEFA Euro 2008. More recently however, their national team has become increasingly competitive; boasting talented players with passionate supporters who enjoy an attacking style of play as well as rising young talents who are beginning to emerge on the scene.
Goalkeepers
Rustu Recber emerged as one of the greatest surprises during Turkey’s 2018 World Cup campaign – his performances at Juventus Next Gen saw him quickly rise through the ranks to be named starting goalkeeper and earn him his debut call-up against Italy.
But it was Gunok’s save in the opening match against hosts Germany that sent shockwaves through the nation. His leaping right-wing save – no other word will do – and stretching out his massive hands to claw away Marko Arnautovic’s low shot will forever remain imprinted in our collective memory.
Gunok may not be one of the stars on an otherwise talented squad, but he remains one of Europe’s premier goalkeepers. Not only can he save shots well; he is also an adept passer and athlete – making him more than just an ordinary goalkeeper.
Altay Bayindir played in Turkey’s friendly against Hungary and will start against Portugal on Friday as its goalkeeper. Manchester United goalkeeper Zeki Celik offers strong defensive presence as well as attacking flair when on the counterattack, providing dangerous crosses from his left back position for Roma’s left back position.
Midfielders
Turkish qualification for Euro 2024 seemed unlikely just months ago, with Stefan Kuntz seemingly losing control of Adana Demirspor’s Super Lig campaign and under-performing under his guidance. Vincenzo Montella proved just the change they needed as his Italian leadership transformed a Super Lig minnow into one of the premier teams in their group.
Montella has chosen Ahmetcan Kaplan after an outstanding finish to this season as part of his initial provisional squad for the European Championships. Although only appearing in 11 Eredivisie matches this year, Alanyaspor’s star scored 13 goals and provided seven assists en route to earning Montella’s selection.
Real Madrid star Arda Guler has already made waves at Bernabeu since making his debut season there this year, making an impressionful first impression and could prove invaluable if given a chance with national side.
Can Uzun (Besiktas), Dogan Alemdar (Arsenal), Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray) and Kenan Karaman (Schalke) round off Turkey’s squad. All are capable of playing anywhere across midfield but will most likely serve in defence for Turkey; many notable names were left off due to injury such as Cengiz Under, Halil Dervisoglu and Kenan Karaman but Montella still has plenty of choices at his disposal.
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Attackers
Turkey has seen its international standing grow significantly over recent years thanks to eye-catching performances at major tournaments and European club successes, with players like Emre Belozoglu, Tuncay Sanli, and Nuri Sahin becoming household names in Europe’s elite leagues.
Turkey boasts a strong attacking lineup featuring Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu, Leicester loanee Cengiz Under and Lille striker Burak Yilmaz; as well as Yusuf Yazici’s recent revival with Lille. Together they give Turkey plenty of firepower up front.
Zeki Celik has earned himself a place in Montella’s squad thanks to his strong Serie A performances with Roma Giallorossi as fullback, both in terms of tackle strength and crosser of the ball. Additionally, his overlapping runs and ability to find the back of the net make him an asset for national teams alike.
Burak Yilmaz has been an integral figure for Lille this season, helping the club win the Ligue 1 championship. Thanks to his resurgence he now leads Turkey’s national team’s attack from open play as well as set-pieces. Former Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz scored 17 goals across all competitions this campaign for Les Dogues alone; becoming their all-time leading goal scorer both club and nation; with pace and direct running capabilities he could prove an invaluable outlet at Euro 2024.
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