Abdülkerim Bardakcı: “We have no concerns about anyone in the tournament”

Turkish national football player Abdülkerim Bardakcı stated that their first goal is to advance from the group stage and said that they are not afraid of anyone in the tournament.

In the first match of Group F of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship (EURO 2024), the National Football Team defeated Georgia 3-1 at the BVB Dortmund Stadium. Before the second match of the group against Portugal, national football player Abdülkerim Bardakcı answered questions from the press during the camp. Evaluating the victory against Georgia, Bardakcı said, ‘Our goal was to start with a victory. It was a good and beneficial camp period. We played good preparation matches, even though the results were not great, we tested and saw everything. We have a quality squad. The first matches are usually the toughest. Thank God we won. Hopefully, we want to continue this. I think we played well yesterday but sometimes we gave away a few clear chances in defense. These are things that happen during the match. I think we played well as a team. Of course, we shouldn’t give away that many chances. Hopefully, we won’t give away that many chances in the upcoming matches. It doesn’t matter who plays. The most in-form players come here. Everyone is in form, Samet is, Merih is. It doesn’t matter who plays, nothing changes.’

Regarding Kenan Yıldız’s goal being offside, the 29-year-old footballer expressed, ‘If we had scored the goal and it wasn’t offside, the match could have taken a different turn. When the goal was disallowed, you inevitably want to protect the score psychologically. We talked about it inside, came out for the second half and corrected it. You tend to pull back psychologically to protect the score. If you keep retreating behind the ball, waiting, you might concede a goal at any moment, and we corrected that.’

“Samet played 10 out of 10 in the Georgia match”
Describing Samet Akaydin as one of his closest friends in the camp, the successful defender said, ‘Samet is one of my closest friends in the camp, I love him very much. I think he played 10 out of 10 yesterday. Criticisms are normal in our country. Criticisms start at the slightest mistake in performance. Samet managed to rise above that. Samet is mentally strong. We see these comments, but to be at these levels, you need to be mentally strong. Otherwise, you would be greatly affected.’

“I saw it on social media after the match, I couldn’t believe it”
When reminded that Samet Akaydin wore his shorts during the Georgia match, Abdülkerim Bardakcı said, ‘After the match, I saw it on social media, I couldn’t believe it. I asked him, and he said he wore it by mistake. Thank God we didn’t notice it during the match.’

“I am solely focused on my career”
Emphasizing that he works very hard, Bardakcı said, ‘I have been saying in my interviews with Galatasaray from the beginning; I work a lot, I do extras constantly every day, and I see the benefit of it. I am solely focused on my career. I don’t think about anything else.’

“We have no fear of anyone in the tournament”
Stating that they are a very good team, the 29-year-old defender said, ‘We have no fear of anyone in the tournament. This year, we qualified for the tournament by achieving firsts. We defeated Croatia at their home, and we qualified as group leaders. We want to finish the group as leaders. Our coach will prepare the game plan accordingly. You also know that Ronaldo is the best player in the world for me. Playing against him will be very different for me too. With God’s permission, there is no need to worry. We have a very good squad. Everyone is aware of how much success we can achieve. We talk among ourselves in every meeting, we know what we can achieve. Our coach will show the appropriate system. The coach waits until the last moment so that everyone is in the same situation, in the same form, not to hurt anyone’s feelings, which I think is very good.’

Commenting on the atmosphere created by Turkish fans during the match played in Dortmund, Abdülkerim Bardakcı said, ‘We felt like we were in Turkey. I thank them all very much. They also had a great share in our victory. Hopefully, they will continue to support us. We want to make our country very proud.’

“Each goal is beautiful in its own way, each has a different meaning”
Bardakcı, pointing out that each of the 3 goals in the Georgia match had a different meaning, said, ‘Each goal is beautiful in its own way, each has a different meaning. Especially the goal Arda scored. I had told Kerem before the match, hopefully, you will enter and finish the match, and it happened that way. Arda had scored such a goal before in the Wales match. We thought it would be a goal even before he hit the ball. When Arda took the ball, everyone could feel it.’

Emphasizing their goal to make Turkey proud, the national footballer stated, ‘We want to make our country proud at the highest level. We are working very hard, everyone is sacrificing everything. We have been here for 3 weeks, we are working very well. Our first goal is to advance from the group, our biggest goal is to advance as the group leaders.’

Regarding his hairstyle, Abdülkerim Bardakcı said, ‘I tried to create a different style for myself. I did it in the league, it brought me luck, I scored 2 goals. I wanted to start the tournament this way. I want to continue in that style.’

“Okan Buruk and Vincenzo Montella’s playing systems are similar”
The 29-year-old footballer stated that the playing systems of Okan Buruk and Vincenzo Montella are similar and said, ‘Both prefer playing-defenders who dribble with the ball. That is one of my biggest strengths. Playing in such a system makes me happy.’

“I would be very sad if my football career ended without seeing these places”
Abdülkerim Bardakcı, who always dreamed of reaching these levels in his career, continued his words as follows:
‘I was dreaming, but to be honest, I saw it as hard to achieve from that level to this level. Dreaming is half the success. I really work hard. I would be very sad if my football career ended without seeing these places. I will try to rise even further. I can say that I am mentally very strong. I am not affected by criticism. I work a lot, I constantly imagine some things, I think they can happen. I think this will be beneficial for me.’

Bardakcı, who said he watches the matches in the championship, stated, ‘I watch the matches in the tournament. I liked Spain. Portugal played well. Of course, us.’

Stating that young player Arda Güler will make a mark on the tournament, the national footballer said, ‘He has already started to make his mark. A child who can improve himself every day.’

Emphasizing that the first goal is to advance from the group, Abdülkerim Bardakcı said, ‘Our first goal is to advance from the group, but this is not enough for us. Because we are a very quality team. We are aware of what we can do. We can go as far as we go. I wish we could go to the final. With this quality, why not, we can.’

“I listen to the Mehter March”
Bardakcı, stating that Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu generally plays the music in the team, concluded his words by saying, ‘We listen from him. When I come to the national team, I usually listen to the Mehter March before the match. It motivates me a lot. I feel like I’m going to war.’