Hakan Çalhanoğlu: The one who puts their heart into it more will win

Starting his remarks by stating that they have dreamed of the World Cup since they were children, Çalhanoğlu said, "Our older brothers succeeded in 2002 and made us proud. We grew up with them, we dreamed with them, and now I will step onto the pitch tomorrow."

We only have one match left; we are very close, we have 90 minutes. Our priority is always to represent our country in the best way possible and to make our nation proud. We have been working with our coach for 2.5 years, and we have taken important steps. The team's atmosphere is very good, and our motivation is high. We also feel the pressure, we are excited, but it is a good kind of excitement. Our only goal is to participate in the World Cup and achieve this success.

Actually, my only wish as captain is this: if we qualify for the World Cup, I would like to see our older brothers who played in 2002 among us. Tugay, İlhan, Yıldıray, Alpay, and Bülent Korkmaz. I want to go to the USA with them. Tarkan has a beautiful song, 'We become one on your path'; if we become one, a more beautiful picture will emerge. The shortcoming I see in our national team is that the former successful players are distant, but I want to invite them and see them among us. We need them; their experience is very important to us. I think it would be a beautiful picture," he said.

Reminding that he also played in the first match Turkey played against Kosovo, the 32-year-old footballer said, "The Kosovo National Team is now strong and has quality players; it must be appreciated. The reason they have come this far shows that they have a good organization. Their coach is good, they have quality players; there is Vedat whom I know, and they have players who play in Como. I know some Albanian words, but not the words you might think. So, I won't say them. I have a very close circle of Kosovars, and I love them all. We have nice conversations. These are conversations within the framework of mutual respect and love. So, it is best I don't say a word. It is not just one player; they have many dangerous players. They are a team that transitions very well and goes on counter-attacks. Fisnik Asllani is dangerous, Vedat is already dangerous in front of the goal and on set pieces, and the player who plays for Juventus alongside Kenan is of high quality. They are all good players," he stated.

"We never had a problem"

Providing information about his current condition, the national footballer said, "I had a cramp in my foot in the last match, there was no problem, I asked the coach to substitute me. I am fine now, the training went well. I hope I am ready for tomorrow. The team's motivation, joy, everything is good. Sometimes there are people trying to provoke, but such a thing has never happened. You are following it closely as well. Our only goal is to go to the World Cup; we have no other goal or thought. You see how we approach each other with love and respect. Sometimes malicious things coming from the outside are not pleasant, but we have overcome these as well. We experienced the European Championship last year and showed that it was not like that at all. This bond between us, those who try to tear us apart can try as much as they want, they will never succeed. We really love each other. We are dying to come here. Merih came injured, he didn't have to come, but we miss this place a lot. Everyone, whether they play tomorrow or not, respects the coach's decisions. We have never had a problem," he expressed.

"This is definitely my career match"

Answering the question, "Will tomorrow's match be the most important match of your career?", Hakan Çalhanoğlu replied, "This is definitely my career match. When I chose the national team, I had these dreams. I am very close, I hope it will be my destiny. We worked very hard for this, we struggled a lot, we came here by scratching with our fingernails; no one gifted this to us. We have one last match left, we will do everything in our power, we want to represent our country in the best way possible. I hope we achieve this. I think we deserve this. We came through difficult paths, the last 2.5 years went well, I think this team deserves it. I hope we will succeed tomorrow," he replied.

"I hope future Turkish expatriates will also choose our country"

Regarding the national team choices of Turkish players raised abroad, Captain Çalhanoğlu said, "I respect everyone's opinion; I was born and raised in Germany. I am grateful to all my clubs; thanks to them, I became Hakan Çalhanoğlu. I always say this: listen to your heart, no matter what. I hope future Turkish expatriates will also choose our country. After me, Orkun, Kenan, and Can came. This is a good example. Because we are a country of 80 million, and we have talented players."

"Tomorrow, it won't just be quality, but whoever puts their heart into it more will win"

When asked about the TFF President's statement, 'If we cannot beat Romania, Kosovo, and Slovakia, we should not participate in the World Cup,' and whether this creates extra pressure, he concluded his remarks by saying, "Everyone has a different perspective. I look at it from a player's point of view; I have never underestimated any opponent in my life. The biggest example is that we were eliminated by Bodo Glimt in the Champions League, so I do not underestimate any opponent. The President's perspective is different. Our goal is to participate in the World Cup; we have one last match left, one last 90 minutes. We have made the necessary analyses; tomorrow, it won't just be quality, but whoever puts their heart into it more will win. We are aware of this, we will do everything in our power, and we are ready."