12.03.2026 12:28
Eighteen-year-old amateur football player Halit Hamza Kök, living in Eskişehir, is unable to attend trial training invitations from clubs in Europe due to not being able to get a visa appointment. Despite the young player's ambition and talent catching the attention of clubs, bureaucratic obstacles are holding him back.
18-year-old amateur football player Halit Hamza Kök, living in Eskişehir, is worried about missing the opportunity to showcase himself in Europe due to not being able to get a visa appointment despite receiving trial training invitations from clubs in Spain and Portugal.
Kök, who started playing football at the age of 6 in the Eskişehirspor youth academy, played for about 6 years in the youth team of the red-black club after his provisional license was issued.
Officials from Estoril FC, a team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, sent a representative to watch the young player after watching match footage shared on social media.
After approximately two months of monitoring, Kök was invited by the club to trial training. Although the young player, who went to Portugal to participate in the training, quickly gained the appreciation of the coaching staff, he had to return to Turkey due to insufficient residency and visa duration.
This season, Kök, who plays as a forward in the under-18 team of Eskişehir 2017 Gençlergücü Spor, a team in the Eskişehir Super Amateur League, played a significant role in his team's championship by scoring approximately 20 goals.
Kök's performance also caught the attention of Real Oviedo from Spain's La Liga and Rio Ave from the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Real Oviedo officially invited the young player to Spain to participate in trial training from March 15 to June 15. However, despite the invitation letter, Kök and his club have not yet been able to get an appointment for a visa application.
"I WANT TO SHOW MYSELF LIKE KENAN YILDIZ AND ARDA GÜLER"
Halit Hamza Kök told AA reporter that he wants to realize his dream of playing football in Europe.
Kök stated that he applied for a visa to go to Spain but has not yet received an appointment, and he said:
"This is not just my problem; it is an issue faced by many young footballers who dream of Europe like me. My goal is to showcase myself in Europe. Whether it's Kenan Yıldız or Arda Güler, I also want to make a name for myself like them. Hopefully, an opportunity will arise."
CALL FOR SUPPORT FROM THE CLUB
Mehmet Göcen, the head coach of Eskişehir 2017 Gençlergücü Spor, stated that they established the club with the aim of discovering young players and bringing them to higher leagues.
Göcen noted that they have sent many players to professional teams so far and added:
"We have received official invitations from three clubs abroad for Halit Hamza. Real Oviedo called our player for a three-month trial, but we have not even been able to get a visa appointment yet. We want to facilitate the visa processes for amateur athletes to participate in trials abroad."
Team captain Ahmet Enes Gümüş emphasized the importance of having the opportunity for an athlete to continue their career abroad and expressed his happiness for his teammate Kök receiving such an offer.
Gümüş stated that Kök is a promising player and emphasized that they expect support from the authorities for him to showcase himself in Europe.
Berke Göcen, Kök's teammate, also expressed that Kök adds value to the team with his talent and believes that he would succeed in a club in Europe if he could go.