03.06.2025 16:20
Galatasaray's Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara commented on the club's Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, saying, "Victor Osimhen is my biggest rival within the team. (Laughing) Of course, he is a very great player. We all definitely want him in our team. We are praying for him to stay with us, and I hope he does."
In the 2024-25 season, Galatasaray, which completed the season with two trophies in the Super League, had Gabriel Sara, one of the key players of the team with 2 goals and 9 assists, making special statements to Demirören News Agency (DHA) about the championship race, cup victory, future goals, his story of joining Galatasaray, and many other topics.
The Brazilian midfielder described the double trophy season as incredible, saying, "Incredible, we wanted to win these two trophies from the beginning. We are proud, all of us together."
'ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T WANT IT AT FIRST'
Describing the process of transferring to Galatasaray, the 25-year-old Brazilian said, "It's a crazy thing. Actually, I didn't want it at first. My wife was pregnant, and the birth was approaching. Football is my life. It defines who I am. At the end of the day, I am very happy and very proud to be here. My family is with me."
'I THINK WE ACHIEVED GOOD THINGS AS A TEAM'
When asked whether he felt pressure on the road to the championship, Sara replied, "Honestly, no. Because I didn't understand the language. Therefore, I wasn't disturbed by something I didn't understand. At the end of the day, I think I did a good job. I think we achieved good things as a team. Both trophies are a testament to that."
'I THINK FOOTBALL IS MORE EMOTIONAL IN TURKEY'
Gabriel Sara, who transferred from the England Championship to Turkey, expressed his thoughts on the differences between the two leagues: "I think football is more emotional in Turkey. Galatasaray is a very big team. The stadium is always full. We are talking about 50,000, 60,000 fans. We always have to win. I can really say that passion is a big difference. If you draw in England, you have more chances to correct it if you lose the match. Here, you don't have such a chance. I can say that football here is more individual, while there it is more tactical."
'MY FIRST PRIORITY IS TO PLAY'
The 25-year-old Brazilian, who played as an 8 in the early part of the season and later in the 10 position, stated that his priority is to play regardless of the position. Sara said, "Both are good for me. Playing is the most important thing. That has always been my first priority. When I play as an 8, I can play with the ball more, spend more time in the game. When I am in the 10 position, I can enter the penalty area more, and I can say that I am closer to scoring more goals."
'CREATING A POSITION FOR 9 OR MIDFIELDERS'
When asked about the expectations of head coach Okan Buruk from him, Sara said, "I can say that it is to make more runs into space. Creating a position or a space for the 9 or midfielders, manipulating the opponent, and helping the center-backs. At the same time, using set pieces well."
'THIS HAS BEEN A FEATURE WITHIN ME SINCE I STARTED FOOTBALL'
Gabriel Sara, who has made most of his assists in the Super League from headers, said that this has been a part of him since he started playing football. The Brazilian midfielder also pointed out that there are many effective players in the team when it comes to headers, saying, "There isn't much to say. This has been a feature within me since I started football. When you look, there are very good headers. There are players like Apo (Bardakçı), Davinson, and Mario; perhaps all the credit is given to me too much."
Stating that football is the biggest part of his life, Sara said that his story of starting football began with his father. The 25-year-old midfielder expressed:
"My father is a former player. I've been in football as long as I can remember. 7 days, 24 hours. I played football with my brother since I was 3 or 4 years old. There isn't a big story there, actually. Football is the biggest part of my life. I can say it will be that way until the end of my life."
'I DON'T THINK I'M AT THE LEVEL I SHOULD BE'
Stating that he will be better next season and is working for it, Sara said, "I don't think there is something I can call a turning point. I don't think I'm at the level I should be right now. That's why I work every day. I believe I will be much better next season than this season."
'MY BIGGEST DREAM IS TO PLAY FOR THE BRAZIL NATIONAL TEAM'
Gabriel Sara stated that his biggest dream is to play for the national team. Explaining his goals for the future, Sara said, "My biggest dream is to play for the Brazil National Team. It's my biggest dream."
'I HAD TO DO THIS TO HELP THE TEAM'
After suffering an injury in January, Sara mentioned that he started playing early, saying, "It wasn't easy. I think I started playing earlier than I should have. But I had to do this to help the team. I played in matches with pain. However, we won the matches. I did my best to get back to my best as soon as possible, and that was what I wanted."
Sara mentioned that the unforgettable matches of the season were the two matches they played away against Fenerbahçe.
'WE ARE VERY HAPPY WHEN WE GET THE RESULTS OF OUR WORK'
During the championship celebration in Yenikapı, Sara, who slid onto the stage, spoke about those moments:
"I don't really know what to say. We are very happy when we get the results of our work from the beginning. We are probably expressing that a little bit to the outside."
'BEING LOVED MAKES US HAPPY, AND WE LOVE YOU TOO'
The Brazilian footballer stated that Turkish and Brazilian people resemble each other, which is why Brazilian players are loved a lot in Turkey, saying, "This is something I have felt since I came here. I think we are somewhat similar people. We are both happy people and approach football with passion. When I look at it as a country, I see a country similar to my right and left. Being loved makes us happy, and we love you too."
'MY IDOLS ARE MY FATHER AND ZIDANE'
Gabriel Sara stated that his idols in life are his father Jorge Luiz Sara and Zinedine Zidane, saying, "First of all, I can say my father. Because everything I know, he taught me. I can't say in difficult times for my idol. But I watched Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup. At that time, I didn't understand much about football, but what he did against Brazil was really incredible. If there is a player I can call my idol, it is him. I can say my father and Zidane."
'WE WILL WIN SOMETHING IN EUROPE SOON'
Sharing his thoughts on the lack of success in Europe despite the achievements in the league and cup, the Brazilian midfielder said:
"I believe we are on the right track right now. Of course, I was very sad about this season. We could have gone much further. We take joy from winning the cup and the league. I hope we will win something in Europe very soon and make our fans very happy."
'WE PRAY FOR OSIMHEN TO STAY WITH US'
Wishing for his close friend Osimhen to stay in the team, Sara said, "Victor Osimhen is my biggest enemy within the team."
"(Smiling) Of course, he is a very big player. I hope he continues. I hope he stays with us for a while longer. We all definitely want him on our team. We are praying for him to stay with us, and I hope he does," he said.
'NEXT SEASON WE WILL GIVE YOU MORE'
The Brazilian midfielder addressed the yellow-red fans at the end of the interview: "I hope Galatasaray fans enjoyed this season. I hope you had fun at the parties. Next season, we will give you more."