Here is the interview Ferdi Kadıoğlu gave to Voetbal International:
“60 thousand of the 75 thousand people were Turks”
“You feel the great support not only in Turkey, but also when we play with Fenerbahçe abroad. This support is much more intense in the Turkish National Team. We recently played a friendly match against Germany in Berlin. 60 thousand of the 75 thousand people in the stadium are Turkish. “It was not normal, it was like we were playing at home, with so many citizens supporting us. It was a special experience.”
“The European Championship is coming”
“It’s nice that the transfer news about me is so positive, but I’m mainly interested in Fenerbahçe and this season, not the transfer. We want to be champions in the league, win the cup and perform in Europe, that’s what’s important. After that comes the European Championship. These things happen every day.” “Concrete things I’m working on, we’ll see later.”
“I got the discipline from my mother and the love of football from my father”
“Sports have been in me from a young age. My mother is still active in the dance world; she used to be a professional ballerina. She performed at the highest level in a tough world with a lot of competition. I got the discipline to live for sports from her, and the love of football from my father. As a child, I also had a great talent for tennis And I played it at a high level. I participated in tournaments all over the country. I was a little kid and I used to go to the sports center with one of those big tennis bags on my shoulder. In the end I had to choose between football and tennis, because a combination was no longer possible and I chose football. “
“When Fenerbahçe made a transfer offer…”
“When Fenerbahçe made a transfer offer, I actually realized immediately: ‘This is a unique opportunity, I should take advantage of it.’ Phillip Cocu was the coach of Fenerbahçe and this naturally appealed to me. Unfortunately, this did not last long because after a few months the club said goodbye to him. Of course, it was a very big step. I was still a teenager and suddenly you found yourself in one of the biggest clubs in Turkey. In one of them, you find yourself in a metropolis like Istanbul. In my first season, I played only one match, and that was in the cup. Just one match. This says enough about my entry into football.
“I managed to get a chance at Fenerbahçe”
“I just needed time. But I also knew very well that only I could change the course. I had to start investing in myself, I had to become much stronger. Technically and tactically my foundation was good, I saw it every day on the training field, I just still had the body of a child. More I also needed to get stronger and started working out for that. I trained a lot in the gym and felt like I was getting stronger. I was convinced that my time would come and then I went back to the mentality I had inherited from my parents. If you want to achieve something, you have to live for it and not give up. So that’s what I did and in the end “I managed to get a chance at Fenerbahçe.”
Vitor Pereira confession
“We had a Portuguese coach, Vitor Pereira, and he started playing with three defenders and two wing-backs. He tried me at wing-back and actually things went quite well right away. Of course, I had to switch a switch in my head and really get used to it, but I felt like I was getting better and better.” “In this role you have to be present defensively, but when you have the ball you can also come forward to attack. I liked that combination immediately.”
“It’s great to play football this season”
“Dusan Tadic plays in front of me as a left winger. It’s great to play football this season, we have a good rapport together. We often speak Dutch to each other, especially on the field you need to be able to understand each other quickly, so it’s nice to communicate like that. Dusan is an incredible footballer, “He’s very strong and good, he’s a real leader and he’s good at keeping the ball football-wise, which means I can link up often to be dangerous together.”
“I thought a lot about which national team to choose”
“At one point I could have chosen three countries: Turkey, Canada and of course the Netherlands. As a teenager, I played for five different Dutch youth national teams before playing as a forward for the Dutch Cadet National Team under Erwin van de Looi. I thought a lot about which national team to choose and I talked about it with the people around me. Both countries are very dear to me. I was supporting both Turkey and the Netherlands in the final tournaments. Only whoever had to play would play and usually one of them was not there, which made my job easier. But now I had to choose and in the end I chose Turkey. I have not regretted it for a moment. It feels good and I have already had many great moments with the Turkish national team. The European Championship in Germany next summer will be one of the most important moments. I am looking forward to it .”
“You have to fight for your place”
“I’m playing at the top and therefore I can’t fail. But don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy with the way everything is going. I didn’t choose the easiest way, leaving everything behind at a young age for the adventure in Turkey. Then you have to be mentally strong and fight for your place. This comes into play.” “It worked and that’s why I see this as an ideal route for myself.”
“What I’m experiencing is not normal”
“And sometimes I realize: What I am experiencing is not normal. I feel privileged to be playing here, in such a big club like Fenerbahçe and in front of so many fans. But at the same time, I feel the urge to be even better and experience more beauty. In 2024 That’s my goal.”
2023-12-29 10:41:26
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