Although the tournament is not well known, Fenerbahce's match against Galatasaray is no less popular than any of the five major leagues, even in recent years when the dominance of the two teams has declined. However, when the pair met istanbul's rivals on April 10, a banner inside the stadium stood out from hundreds of colorful flags and banners. "Arda Güler: Messi, Turkey," said the banner's maker, 20-year-old Max, who came here from London to watch one of the most passionate matches in world football. "I used to go to Barcelona to see Messi and it was really nice to see him," Max explained to the media, "so I wanted to watch Alda Guler, my favourite Fenerbahce player in the most important game of the season, deserved that nickname!" ”
The banner has attracted so much interest not only because a Turkish teenager has been likened to a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, but also because Alda has become the hottest rising star in Turkish football in recent weeks. His Fenerbahce team-mate described the 17-year-old as having the potential to become a "world star", something some of Europe's biggest clubs seem to agree with. Arsenal and Liverpool have reportedly sent scouts to watch the organiser's core perform against Galatasaray, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have been seen as future targets for what has been considered the best player in Turkish football for some time.
It was a leap for a toddler whose father once put a balloon in front of him at his home in Ankara in an attempt to get Alda to kick the balloon with his left foot. "We don't have a left foot in our house," Umit-Gullaire explained to the media, "I put the balloon and the football in front of his left foot so he would use it more." "Arda certainly got all the help he needed to become a footballer and his talent was discovered as early as the second grade of primary school, when his pedigrade advised him to join Genclerbirligi's academy. The team was actually made up of boys a year older than Alda, but he quickly became captain because of his extraordinary talent that made him stand out.
In 2019, Fenerbahce discovered his abilities at a championship for children under the age of 14 in Riva, about 50 km from Istanbul, and soon there were bids for him to cross the distance of 440 km to transfer to the veteran team of the Turkish Super League. "In December 2018, I went to Ankara to watch Osmanlispor play against Genclerbirligi in U14," Serhart Peckmezi, former youth coordinator for Fenerbach, explained to the media, "I was looking for another player. However, Alda caught my attention because I was impressed by both his technique and personality. Although he suffered a serious ankle injury in the final 15 minutes, he did not withdraw from the game. They lost the game and he shed tears at the end of the game. ”
"He has very special potential. At that time we used a special report to tell our sporting director Damien Comoli about Alda. He's a genius not to be missed, so we should sign him. Nearly 10 days later, after not receiving any response from the board, I prepared a video of Arda and forwarded it to our chairman, Ali Cork. He contacted me after watching. The first thing I said to him was, 'At 15 or 16 he can play in the first team', I mentioned not only that he was a european-level genius, but also about his qualities off the pitch. ”
Alda, a fan of Fenerbahce as a child and adoring Alessandro de Sousa from an early age, seized the opportunity, and although he was homesick at first, his family followed him to Istanbul about six months later to help him settle down. In the first half of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Alda to stop chasing football, which delayed his life at the new club, but once he was able to show his ability, he was quickly promoted from U17 to U19. Despite playing against opponents four years older than him, he still enjoyed a wonderful journey, scoring 10 goals and assisting seven times in 22 games.
Surprisingly, the performance caught the eye of first-team coach Victor Pereira, who invited Alda to train with the first team after signing his first professional contract in January 2021. However, it wasn't until August that he came off the bench in the final 24 minutes of the Europa League qualifier against Helsinki. Three days later, he made his league debut with an assist against Antalya Sport. "If you want to improve young players, you need to give them playing time and confidence," Pereira said after Alda made his debut, "if you can deliver that and the players have the ability, they can shine." I worked at the Porto Football Academy for five years and I can say that I don't see a lot of players with the qualities and character of Alda. ”
While the comparison with Messi made good headlines, perhaps Arda most resembled former Real Madrid midfielder Guti, who spent the final year of his career at Besiktas in Turkey. His mature possession of the ball pales in comparison to many in front of this player, who turned 17 in February, and his elegant left foot and foresight ensure that he can make the passes that others can only dream of. As a brilliant dribbler, as demonstrated by the ghostly runs and assists he provided against Slavia Prague in February, Alda's first touch and decision as a reliable finisher made it clear that he was able to handle what he was going to do before the ball reached him.
Off the pitch, he was able to distinguish between media hype and get away from the camera, making sure he stayed calm and able to relax. For example, in the second leg against Slavia, he provided another assist, after which he played with a former teammate from U19 in the national youth team. As the season drew to a close, he won more and more opportunities to impress in the Fenerbahce first team and became the youngest goalscorer in the club's history, completing a close-range goal in March against Alanya Sport. Two games later, he scored from 20 yards away in a match against Kayseri Sport. In the first season of his career, the teenager scored or assisted on the pitch every 45 minutes on average.
Fenerbahce now faces a battle to preserve their valuable assets, with a €30 million termination clause in his contract. "I don't think Alda will stay in Turkey for long," Guler's former coach Errol Tokgozler told local media, "I know Arsenal and Bayern Munich have offers. As each game progresses, the number of interested teams will increase. The bid for 20-30 million euros to acquire Alda will become commonplace. "The adoration in the stands is likely to be the same, whether through banners, songs or comparisons with great stars. Now, it's hard to say when Alda will be one of those great stars.