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Turkish national footballer Arda Guler, who plays for Real Madrid, declared his ambition to inspire the next wave of Turkish talent, in a heartfelt letter published Thursday by The Players’ Tribune.
“Above all, I want to lead the way for a new generation of Turkish players,” Guler wrote. “I know that I am the big hope of Turkish football, but I don’t want to be the only one. I want to open the door for everyone else. That means you guys, who are reading this letter.”
Turkish star recalled a powerful moment from Türkiye’s 2023 earthquake tragedy that left a lasting emotional mark on him.
“There is a video from the earthquake in 2023 that gives me the chills,” Guler said, describing a scene in which a young boy, rescued after five days under the rubble, asked rescuers to send a message to him. “Maybe you have seen it. He has a message for me.”
Guler said the moment came during a difficult period when he was struggling for minutes at Fenerbahce, and it reminded him of the connection he has with people across the country..
Guler also shared behind-the-scenes details of his move to Real Madrid, describing it as his “fourth dream.”
“It felt unreal that it could happen so quickly,” he said. “That summer my dad and I had many long conversations about whether it was too early for me to go.”
While he had multiple offers on the table, one FaceTime call changed everything.
“I had a FaceTime call with Mr. Carlo Ancelotti. He said, ‘Arda, you will have a big future here. Maybe not the first year, but you will get chances. When Modric and Kroos are too old, we could play you in midfield.’ Just hearing my name next to Modric and Kroos was surreal.”
Ancelotti’s final words sealed the deal: “‘Arda, promise me that you’ll come to Madrid. Promise, promise, promise.’ I said, ‘Of course, Mister.’”
Since his arrival, Guler said Ancelotti has become a mentor and paternal figure. “Right from the start, Ancelotti became like a father to me,” he said. “He would joke with me about everything, and I was still a kid with wide-open eyes who was trying to take in the biggest club in the world.”
Guler, who is widely seen as one of the most promising young players in European football, concluded his letter with a message of hope and responsibility:
“I want every kid in Türkiye to believe that they can dream as big as I have. And maybe even bigger.”
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