17.06.2026 09:20
Samet Akaydin, reacting to the criticism after the defeat to Australia, stated that they couldn't sleep until morning as a team. The national footballer noted that captain Hakan Calhanoglu was affected by the comments, saying, "Criticizing a person's hair or mustache is ridiculous. We can't do anything out of fear."
Samet Akaydın, answering questions from the press before the Paraguay match, said that the 2-0 defeat against Australia caused great disappointment within the team.
The national footballer stated, "People think we are not unhappy. That's not the case. After losing the match, we couldn't sleep until morning; we were very upset."
"WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT HAKAN IS DEMORALIZING"
Samet, noting that team captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu is also affected by the comments, said that some criticisms have turned personal. Akaydın said, "They make different insinuations about our captain. Our captain's morale is also very low. We know what he does for this team. Hakan is a somewhat emotional person; he gets caught up in such things. It's normal for him to get caught up because very absurd things are written."
"CRITICIZING HAIR AND MUSTACHE IS NOT CRITICISM"
The national defender, emphasizing that they are open to criticism, stated that football comments and personal attacks must be distinguished. Samet Akaydın said, "We are always open to criticism. You can analyze the match, but talking about a person's hair or mustache is a completely different dimension. These go beyond criticism. The only thing we are angry about is this."
"WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING OUT OF FEAR"
The national footballer also mentioned that reactions sometimes create pressure on the players. Akaydın said, "We hesitate to do anything out of fear. With the fear of doing something wrong when the press is outside, we just stand around during training."
"WE WILL GIVE THE ANSWER ON THE FIELD IN THE PARAGUAY MATCH"
Samet Akaydın, stating that he believes they will compensate for the Australia defeat, said they will respond to all criticisms on the field. The national footballer expressed that by winning the Paraguay match, they want to make amends to both the fans and the country.