Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler has opened up on his time at the club so far, including his arrival, settling in, and ‘sucking the bench’ as Carlo Ancelotti has put it. The Turkish talent has at times appeared unhappy with the lack of game time previously, and there have even been questions about how good his relationship with Ancelotti is, but Guler has spoken warmly of the Italian.
Guler opened up to The Player’s Tribune, explaining his roots and how he came to Real Madrid, as well as the adversity he has come through to do so. When Real Madrid came calling, it was Ancelotti who FaceTimed Guler, making him promise that he would join Los Blancos, and on arrival, Ancelotti was joking around with him, leading to Guler misidentifying club legend Raul Gonzalez.
Settling in at Real Madrid
The 20-year-old has never had any doubts about his talent, but at times has looked out of sorts. In his eyes, adapting to the culture, the food and a new country was even harder than being on the pitch. Several gestures helped him to feel at home though.
“Usually, you feel that you have ‘arrived’ at a club when you’ve scored a big goal or made a decisive pass. For me, that moment actually came when we got a free kick outside the box, and I was on the bench. Modric turned to me and said, ‘Hey Arda, this would be perfect for you.’ Little things like that mean a lot.”
“There was another game recently where we were down at halftime, and Modrić told me, ‘Get ready, you need to come on.’ This legend is one of the best midfielders of all time, and now he was trusting me to turn the game around. I was really moved.”
“I know people in Turkiye want me to play every game for Real Madrid. I do too, but I know I have to be patient. When Ancelotti says that I can become one of the best midfielders in the world, it shows that the club has a plan for me.”
Earlier in the season, and last year, there was no shortage of evidence of Guler’s frustation at his lack of minutes. Guler has admitted he didn’t feel like a big part of their Champions League win last year.
“But being on the bench is not easy. When we won the Champions League, I didn’t actually feel like lifting the trophy, because I hadn’t contributed that much on the pitch. That’s why I was so shy when Ancelotti gave me the mic at Cibeles. I wasn’t planning to go to the top of the bus at all, because I was really tired, and I remember that two of my friends were texting me, ‘Where are you? We can’t see you’.”
Once on the green though, Guler feels comfortable.
“Playing for Madrid is actually easy. You know that Modric will find your run. Vinicius will make even a bad pass look good. The hard part is learning Spanish, adapting to the culture and staying grounded. So it’s good that my family visits me once a month, and that Mum still tells me to tidy my room. She always says that if I wasn’t a footballer, we would be in big trouble.”
‘I want to earn a Champions League title’ – Guler
He would go on to detail some of the key people that have helped him make it to the Santiago Bernabeu, and explain his upcoming goals.
“Since leaving Ankara, I have kept writing down the names of the people who have helped me get here. We are far above 20. Mum, Dad, my sister, my friends, my coaches, my presidents, PE teacher Mahmut, the doctors who saved my mum’s life….. No matter who you are, you cannot do it alone. I turned 20 earlier this year. There are so many more dreams in my notebook. I want to become an important player for Madrid. I want to earn that Champions League title. I’d love to be the number 10 at this club, too,” he said going on to say that most of all, he wants to inspire a new generation of Turkish footballers.
Clarity on Arda Guler’s future?
Ancelotti was expected to hand Guler a much larger role this season, but as happened last year, has only received significant minutes in the dying embers of the season. Should he be handed a starting berth against Barcelona, then that could mark a turning point in his status though. The arrival of Xabi Alonso this summer could also see a change of status, when much of the talk in March was of a potential departure for Guler.