Is Ferdi Kadıoğlu leaving the nest? Transfer statement from the young star

Ferdi Kadıoğlu, who was transferred to Fenerbahçe from the Dutch team NEC Nijmegen for 1.4 million Euros at the beginning of the 2018/2019 season, has become one of the team's indispensable players.

The 24-year-old footballer, who has also impressed with his performance in the National Team, made statements about his career to the Dutch press outlet Voetbal International.

Ferdi Kadıoğlu's statements are as follows: 

"You feel the great support not only in Turkey but also when we play abroad with Fenerbahçe. In the Turkish National Team, this support is many times more intense. We recently played a friendly match against Germany in Berlin. Out of the 75 thousand people in the stadium, 60 thousand were Turkish. It's not normal, it was as if we were playing at home; so many of our citizens were supporting us. It's a special experience."

"I AM NOT INTERESTED IN TRANSFERS" 

"It's nice that the transfer news about me is so positive, but I am not interested in transfers; I am primarily interested in Fenerbahçe and this season. We want to be champions in the league, win the cup, and perform in Europe; that is what is important. After that, the European Championship is coming up. These are the concrete things I work on every day, we'll see about the rest later."

"SPORTS FROM MY MOTHER, FOOTBALL FROM MY FATHER"

"Sports have been in me since I was young. My mother is still active in the dance world; she used to be a professional ballerina. She was performing at the highest level in a tough world with a lot of competition. I got the discipline to live for sports from her, and my love for football from my father. As a child, I also had a great talent for tennis and played it at a high level. I participated in tournaments all over the country. I was a little kid and I would go to the sports center with one of those big tennis bags on my shoulder. Eventually, I had to choose between football and tennis because a combination was no longer possible, and my choice was football."

"FENERBAHÇE WAS A VERY BIG STEP" 

"When Fenerbahçe made a transfer offer, I actually realized it immediately: 'This is a unique opportunity, I must take it.' Phillip Cocu was the coach at Fenerbahçe, and that naturally made it extra attractive to me. Unfortunately, this situation didn't last long because the club parted ways with him a few months later. Of course, it was a very big step. I was still in my teens and suddenly you find yourself at one of Turkey's biggest clubs, in a metropolis like Istanbul. In my first season, I played only one match, and that was in the cup. Just one match. That says enough about my entry into football."

"I NEVER GAVE UP"

"I just needed time. But I also knew very well that I was the only one who could change the course of things. I had to start investing in myself, I had to become much stronger. My technical and tactical foundation was good, I saw this on the training field every day, I just still had the body of a child. I needed to get stronger and I started working for that. I trained a lot in the gym and felt myself getting stronger. I was convinced that my time would come and then I went back to the mentality I got from my family. If you want to achieve something, you have to live for it and not give up. That's what I did, and in the end, I managed to get my chance at Fenerbahçe."

"PEREIRA PLAYED ME AS A WING-BACK"

"We had a Portuguese coach, Vitor Pereira, who started playing with three defenders and two wing-backs. He tried me in the wing-back position and actually, things went quite well all of a sudden. Of course, I had to flip a switch in my head and really get used to it, but I felt myself getting better and better. In this role, you have to be present defensively, but when you have the ball, you can also go forward to attack. I liked this combination immediately."

"IT WAS A BIG CHANGE"

"The coaches after Pereira saw that I could also be important for the team as a full-back in a 4-3-3 system. This was truly a big change, because until a few years ago I didn't think it was possible, but it just shows that things can get strange in football. Also, it gives me a real thrill to see if I can take the ball and be useful in the attack immediately afterward."

"WE SPEAK DUTCH WITH TADIC"

"Dusan Tadic plays in front of me as a left winger. It's great to play football this season, we have found a good harmony together. We often speak Dutch with each other, especially on the pitch you need to understand each other quickly, so it's nice to communicate this way. Dusan is an incredible footballer, very strong and good, he is truly a leader and good at holding the ball in terms of football, which means I can often connect with him to be dangerous together."

NATIONAL TEAM PREFERENCE 

"At one point, I could choose three countries: Turkey, Canada, and of course the Netherlands. As a youngster, I played for five different Dutch youth national teams before playing as a forward for the Dutch U21 team under Erwin van de Looi. I thought a lot about which national team to choose and talked about this with the people around me. Both countries are very valuable to me. I used to support both Turkey and the Netherlands in final tournaments. Whoever had to play would play, and usually one of the two wasn't there, which made my job easier. But now I had to make a choice and in the end, I chose Turkey. I haven't regretted it for a moment. It feels good and I have already had many great moments with the Turkish national team. The European Championship to be held in Germany next summer will be one of the most important moments. I am looking forward to it."

"I AM PLAYING AT THE TOP, I CANNOT FAIL"

"I am playing at the top and therefore I cannot fail. But don't get me wrong, I am very happy with how everything is going. I didn't choose the easiest path by leaving everything behind at a young age for the adventure in Turkey. You have to be mentally strong and fight for your place. It worked, and that's why I see this as an ideal route for myself."

"FENERBAHÇE, A GREAT PRIVILEGE"

"And sometimes I realize: what I am experiencing is not normal. I feel privileged to play here, at such a big club like Fenerbahçe and in front of so many fans. But at the same time, I feel the urge to become even better and experience more beauty. That is my goal in 2024."

News Source: 12punto