08.05.2025 18:00
Our national star Arda Güler, who wears the Real Madrid jersey, shared his life story and football journey in a letter he wrote for The Players Tribune. Reflecting on his memories from his time at Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid, Arda Güler moved everyone by recounting a memory from his school days.
Our national star Arda Güler, who wears the jersey of La Liga giant Real Madrid, wrote a letter for The Players Tribune. In his letter, Arda Güler made striking statements about his career at Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid, while sharing a memory from his school days that moved readers.
Arda Güler, who tells his life story, wrote in his letter;
'I BEGGED MY DAD EVERY DAY'
'Just a few years ago, I was one of you. It's actually funny... When I was 12 years old, I was obsessed with getting a PlayStation. You can't understand how much I wanted this. I begged my dad every day. All I wanted was FIFA 17.
I didn't play many video games as a kid because I was always playing football outside. But one day, one of my friends got a PS4, and it had FIFA 17 in it; that day felt like one of the best days of our lives. When we saw the career mode with Alex Hunter – wow. We went crazy. Do you remember Alex Hunter? Some of you might be too young for this. FIFA 17 had a mode called The Journey. In this mode, you started as a kid named Alex, who nobody knew, and tried to sign with big clubs. If you succeeded, you would walk onto the field alongside big stars like Cristiano Ronaldo. It was so much more than a game for us; it was the dream we saw on the television screen. I was so attached to it. Whenever I returned home from my friend's house, I would beg my dad for a PS4. 'I will be very well-behaved! I will study very hard in my lessons!'
'I AM A FENERBAHÇE FAN THANKS TO MY DAD'
'Thanks to my dad, I was a Fenerbahçe fan from the moment I was born. Almost literally,' said Arda Güler, 'My dad wasn't just a Fenerbahçe fan; he lived Fenerbahçe. He always said, 'The blood in our veins runs yellow and blue.' Once, when we scored a goal in a derby, he jumped off the couch so hard that he broke the lamp on the ceiling. When we missed the championship in the last match in 2010, he kicked a box in anger and injured his foot — he was like a cartoon character. Thanks to my dad, I was a Fenerbahçe fan from the moment I was born. Almost literally,' he said.
'I DIDN'T GROW UP IN A WEALTHY FAMILY'
Arda Güler, who said his father went bankrupt, stated, 'I didn't grow up in a wealthy family. I'm not the son of a footballer. I grew up on the first floor of an apartment building in Ankara. My mom was a housewife, and my dad was running a shop that had just gone bankrupt. Why did he go bankrupt? Actually, that's the answer to 99 out of 100 questions asked in Turkey. Football.'
'MY DAD SAID, "IF YOU'RE GOING TO DROWN, DROWN IN THE BIG SEA"
Arda also talked about his journey from Ankara to Istanbul, saying, "It took us three months to decide because such a decision changes a person's entire life. I was 13 years old, and my mom and dad didn't want me to move away from home. My dream was to play for Fenerbahçe, but we also realized that it was a very risky and big decision. No one could be sure that I would become a professional footballer in the future. In the end, my dad said, 'If you're going to drown, drown in the big sea.' This meant Istanbul. 'If everything goes well in six months, we will sell everything and come to you.'
On the day we left Ankara, my dad gathered all our loved ones; there were maybe 30 people. It was my birthday that day, and we celebrated with a big cake. But my mom was crying all the time. I had never seen a birthday with so many tears. I told her that I would make her proud and that we would see each other soon in Istanbul. But what I remember most about that day is the conversation I had with my sister, who is 8 years older than me. As I was getting into the car to leave, she looked into my eyes and said, 'Arda, you need to fill the fridge.' Fill the fridge. She used those exact words. 'Arda, you have to do this.' At 13, you don't really know what you should feel about this. You're just playing this game for fun, but suddenly your family's future depends on you. I just remember taking out the birthday gift I got from my dad while driving to Istanbul. It was a notebook, and it had a big title on the cover.
'I HAD NOTHING TO WEAR'
Sharing a memory from his school days, Arda moved everyone by saying, "You need to understand one thing, Ankara and Istanbul are very different cities. Ankara may be the capital, but money and opportunities are in Istanbul. One day, our school allowed free dress. No uniform. The kids from there came to school in branded clothes. I came in uniform. They said, 'Arda, what are you doing?' I said, 'Oh, I forgot. Oops.' But I hadn't forgotten. I just had nothing else to wear."
'NUMBER 10 WAS A PRIVILEGE AND A DREAM'
The young star, who shared the story of how he got the number 10 jersey at Fenerbahçe, said, 'When Mesut Özil left Fenerbahçe in 2022, I thought the jersey would be given to one of the new transfers. I was 17 years old, and just like a king can't ask for a crown, I couldn't ask for the number 10. But the board members told me, 'Arda, the jersey is yours... but only if you have the courage to wear it.' It took me exactly one second to think about it. 'I'm taking it.' When I wore that jersey for the first time, I can't even describe how it felt. I wasn't just following in Alex's footsteps. I was taking on the creative responsibility of the entire team and millions of fans. It was a privilege. It was an honor. It was a dream.'
'THE FOURTH DREAM; REAL MADRID'
Arda also shared the story of his transfer to Real Madrid, saying, "Real Madrid. The fourth dream. It was really hard to believe it happened so quickly. That summer, my dad and I talked for a long time about whether it was too early for me to go. The situation was actually very complicated because there were many other offers, and it was hard to decide what to do. But then I had a video call with Mr. Carlo Ancelotti. I will never forget the moment his number appeared on my screen and the video was loading. 'Hello, Arda. How are you?' He was on vacation too. That moment was so surreal that I have trouble remembering the details, but I think he was wearing one of those Hawaiian shirts, had sunglasses on, and I think he was smoking a cigar. 'Arda, you will have a great future here. Maybe not in the first year, but you will have opportunities. Modric and Kroos are getting old; we can play you in midfield. Hearing my name alongside Modric and Kroos was surreal. I couldn't speak.
Then he said, 'Arda, promise me you'll come to Madrid.'
I also said, "Of course, sir." He said, "We'll talk soon. I need to go to my wife now." Hahaha. Ancelotti was playing extra time. When I hung up the phone, I looked at my father and we decided, "If you're going to drown." "Drown in the big sea." When introduced as a Real Madrid player, it feels like a wedding ceremony. Your contract is for six years, but the goal is to be together for a lifetime. I was sitting with my family, and when my mother started to cry, I wiped her tears and kissed her on the cheek.
'ANCELOTTI IS LIKE A FATHER'
Arda, who also mentioned Coach Ancelotti, said, "From the very beginning, Ancelotti became like a father to me. But it was funny because he would joke with me about everything, and I was still a child with my eyes wide open, trying to grasp the world's biggest club. I couldn't tell when he was serious or not."
'I HAVE A LOT OF DREAMS, I WANT TO PLAY FOR REAL MADRID'
Arda Güler also expressed his desire to shape the future of Turkish football, saying, "I want to guide the new generation of Turkish football. I know I am a great hope for Turkish football, but I don't want to be the only one. I want to open the way for everyone."
Finally, the star player spoke about his future, saying, "Since the day I left Ankara, I keep writing down the names of the people who helped me come here. The number has already exceeded twenty. My mother, my father, my sister, my friends, my coaches, my presidents, my physical education teacher Mahmut, the doctors who saved my mother's life. No matter who you are, you can't succeed alone. At the beginning of this year, I turned 20. I still have a lot of dreams waiting to come true in my notebook. I want to be an important player for Real Madrid. I really want to win that Champions League trophy by truly deserving it. I would also love to wear the number 10 in this club."