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Hakan Calhanoglu is an idolized football player for many in Türkiye as he refused an offer to play in the German national team at a young age. For many, he refused to play for a more successful national team with better opportunities. For him, he followed his heart and chose to play for a team that he felt that he belonged to.
Born February 8, 1994 in Mannheim, Germany, Hakan Calhanoglu is a professional Turkish footballer that currently plays in the midfield position for Inter Milan in the Serie A league. He is also the captain of Türkiye’s national football team.
Although being born in Germany, Hakan Calhanoglu is of Turkish descent with his parents originally coming from the Bayburt province in Türkiye, specifically from the village of Konursu.
From a young age, Hakan use to play street soccer with his younger brother, Muhammed, and was encouraged by their father Huseyin, a former non-league footballer, to pursue playing football professionally.
Calhanoglu maintained a strong connection to his Turkish roots, frequently visiting his ancestral hometown in Türkiye. His upbringing was marked by a strong family influence, especially from his father and mother, who instilled in him a strong sense of morality and dedication.
His younger brother Muhammed and cousin Kerim are also professional footballers, continuing the family’s football tradition.
Hakan began his football journey in the youth teams of Waldhof Mannheim (2001 - 2009) and then made his professional debut at Karlsruher SC (2009 - 2011) where he scored a total of 17 goals in 50 appearances.
In 2013 he transferred to Hamburger SV playing a total of 38 matches but his breakthrough came after transferring to Bayer Leverkusen where he made 179 appearances and scored 38 goals.
In 2017, Calhanoglu transferred to AC Milan, becoming a key player in the Serie A league and since 2021 has been playing for Inter Milan, making 126 appearances and scoring 28 goals as of May 2025 winning two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana trophies.
Hakan Calhanoglu's international career with the Turkish national team began in 2013, and he has since become a key player and captain of the squad. Accumulating 66 captainships and scoring 14 goals for Türkiye.
By 2025, he has continued to be an important contributor, scoring 4 goals for the national team in the current season across competitions such as the UEFA Nations League, European Championship qualifiers, and friendlies.
Hakan Calhanoglu decided to represent Türkiye on the international stage despite being born in Germany due to his Turkish heritage and strong connection to his roots. To honor his Turkish background he chose to play for the Turkish national team.
Since Calhanoglu’s family is originally from Türkiye and while playing in Germany at the age of 17, he involved himself with the Turkish youth national teams and attracted interest from Turkish clubs like Trabzonspor. This early exposure to Turkish football culture likely reinforced his identification with Türkiye.
Calhanoglu also stated in an interview that when he chose to play for the Turkish national team he did so without any hesitation indicating his strong and deep connection to his Turkish heritage and wanting to represent them on the international stage.
Over time, Calhanoglu became a central figure and captain of the Turkish national team, which may have further motivated him to maintain his allegiance to Türkiye, where he holds a prominent leadership role in the team. He has since earned over 90 caps and scored more than 20 goals for the national team.
Hakan Calhanoglu is a prominent midfielder known for his technical ability, leadership, and free-kick expertise, playing at the highest levels in Italy's Serie A and serving as captain of Türkiye's national team.
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