Arda Turan: ‘when Real And Barça Went On Tours Atlético Ran In The Mountains’

Arda Turan knows nan mobility is coming. How has nan firebrand who thrilled and exasperated during a successful, sometimes wildly controversial, playing profession go a head pinch nan temperament to return connected 1 of Europe’s astir delicate jobs? It comes down to taking a breath. “When location is thing going on, correct now nan first point that comes into my mind is reasoning alternatively than reacting,” he says pinch a grin.

There will beryllium plentifulness to inhabit that fizzing encephalon astatine Shakhtar Donetsk, wherever he was appointed caput coach successful May. His competitory debut comes connected Thursday, against nan Finnish broadside Ilves, but it is simply a Europa League first qualifying information necktie and nan Ukrainian giants are not utilized to that stage. This is only their 2nd twelvemonth since nan move of nan period without immoderate shape of Champions League shot and they person rolled nan dice by asking 1 of Turkey’s top ever footballers to group them straight.

Across those playing days Turan won 13 trophies, including 2 convention titles apiece successful La Liga and his homeland, and is simply a uncommon illustration of a Turkish export who achieved staying powerfulness astatine Europe’s summit. In nan first half of nan 2010s location were fewer better, much varied attacking midfielders around. None of it came by chance and nan purpose now is to person a akin effect from nan dugout.

“It’s a typical opportunity for me,” he says. “Of people immoderate things will return time. We request to regain nan convention title first and past we tin deliberation of getting Shakhtar to play games that person ‘final’ successful their names, conscionable for illustration they did 16 years ago”.

He is talking astir their now almost unthinkable Uefa Cup triumph successful 2009. Turan has not travel successful cold: nan chance to deliberation large was difficult won aft a two-year spell overseeing nan emergence of minnows Eyupspor, a little-known Istanbul nine who he guided to a first top-flight promotion successful 2023-24, narrowly failing to crown that pinch a European spot past season. It was awesome activity by immoderate measurement of a first managerial role. “Improvised football” and “automatism” is really he position nan style down their breakthrough, though successful reality location is plentifulness much down his methods.

Much of it owes to clip spent nether a drawstring of garlanded managers astatine Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, his beloved Galatasaray and nan Turkey nationalist team. Among them were nan contrasting styles of Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique, while he besides points to nan likes of Fatih Terim, Guus Hiddink and Frank Rijkaard. Turan was hot-headed but says he was ever listening, too, and storing ideas for early adaptation. He captained Galatasaray aged 22. “Management was ever location successful my mind,” he says. “I ever observed nan relationship betwixt coaches and players: what nan coach did and really nan players were responding.

Arda Turan (middle) was portion of nan Atlético Madrid squad that won La Liga successful 2014. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

“If you’ve ever worked pinch Simeone you’ll ever person definite shot ideas successful your head. You’ll straight instrumentality them because he was truthful impressive. Luis Enrique ever had awesome face-to-face connection pinch players and unthinkable attacking solutions. I really judge they were very important.

“But it’s not transcript and paste, I person my ain shot ideas too. With Simeone and Luis Enrique I had very valuable chats and discussions. They were fantabulous teachers but I besides judge bully students should amended connected what they person been taught. I person a batch of positives successful my pouch and now I’m trying to put them into believe connected nan pitch.”

He points to nan blend of magic, tight-bound brotherhood and bonzer beingness prowess that saw disconnected Real Madrid and Barcelona to gain Atlético that astir scintillating of La Liga wins successful 2013-14. Simeone’s squad could play but, earlier everything, they were taught humility. “I ever springiness this example: erstwhile Real and Barcelona were going to nan US aliases nan acold eastbound successful pre-season pinch their sunglasses and everything, we were taken moving successful nan mountains successful Segovia,” Turan says.

Perhaps harnessing nan alloy of Simeone pinch nan lyrical attack of Luis Enrique would reap dividends. In extensively outlining what separates nan elite from everybody else, Turan many times comes backmost to nan taxable of physicality arsenic a level for expression. He believes it helped Eyupspor look up to Turkey’s giants and wants it to displacement nan dial successful Ukraine.

“In nan large 5 leagues, 24 players retired of 24 person nan apical beingness quality,” he says. “In nan different leagues only 5 aliases six players successful each squad person that value and this creates nan imbalance. Look astatine Nuno Mendes, nan left-back astatine PSG: he loses galore balls, but nan constituent is that he reacts consecutive afterwards. Tactics and correct positioning are important but you can’t instrumentality them without physicality.

“I was an violative player, ever wearing 10, and yet didn’t for illustration to run. But it’s nan first measurement to achieving definite things. You tin spot really Ousmane Dembélé has been transformed, starting nan precocious press. If we want to scope nan highest level pinch Shakhtar we request to conflict for illustration this. If you are ready, you will consciousness you tin compete pinch anyone.”

Turan: ‘I was an violative player, ever wearing 10, and yet didn’t for illustration to run.’ Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Turan’s fierce separator has overspilled successful ways that cannot beryllium ignored. In September 2019 he was fixed a suspended jailhouse sentence, which has now expired, aft a brawl pinch nan vocalist Berkay Sahin. It resulted successful a surgery chemoreceptor for Sahin and culminated pinch Turan appearing astatine nan hospital, firing a weapon astatine nan level during nan ensuing confusion. He later apologised. Turan is besides alleged to person abused a journalist connected Turkey’s squad level aft a lucifer against North Macedonia successful 2017, concisely retiring from world shot afterwards, and successful 2018 received a 16-game prohibition for shoving an adjunct referee while connected indebtedness astatine Istanbul Basaksehir.

At 38, and pinch managers’ behaviour acold much intimately policed, those aged ways will not get you anywhere. “When I was a player, I was only responsible for myself,” he says. “I didn’t person 2 children. I was much aggressive. I had nan correct to beryllium much aggressive, and much correct to make mistakes. But erstwhile you are a manager, you person players to look aft and should stay calm successful your character.

“I tin opportunity I’m much master now, but if there’s thing unfair to maine past I won’t springiness successful and my players cognize it. Of people I person made mistakes successful my past, but I judge immoderate of them came from nan correct spot and I don’t regret making them.”

He knows man guidance will beryllium basal successful nan unsocial business he has inherited astatine Shakhtar, who person flown nan emblem for Ukraine to tremendous in installments for much than a decade since Russia’s penetration forced them to time off Donetsk. Travel to play European games – whether distant aliases astatine “home” grounds specified arsenic Stozice Stadium successful Ljubljana, wherever they will look Ilves – eats up endless days connected nan road. Players and their adjacent ones proceed to consciousness nan horrors being inflicted successful their country. The task of returning Shakhtar to nan apical has dimensions acold beyond football.

Turan was appointed caput coach of Shakhtar Donetsk successful May. Photograph: Courtesy of Shakhtar

“It’s really breathtaking that we person this opportunity to make truthful galore group happy, to springiness immoderate contentment erstwhile each these things are going connected successful their country,” he says. “We will person nary excuses astatine all. The lives and families of my players are nan astir important point to maine and I’ve told them I will beryllium supporting them afloat successful this area. My bosom will ever beryllium pinch them. The sacrifices Ukrainian shot has made are immense and if I tin thief Shakhtar beryllium successful I’ll beryllium nan happiest person.”

Turan will activity intimately pinch nan Shakhtar head of football, Darijo Srna, pinch whom he sparred connected aggregate occasions for good Turkey and Croatian teams. It appears Srna has forgiven him for nan melodramatic manner successful which Turan’s broadside prevailed successful nan Euro 2008 quarter-finals, some players scoring successful nan shootout but Turkey pulling through aft nan teams had traded goals precocious successful other time.

“They really crushed america successful nan 8 years aft that,” he laughs. “It was an important crippled successful our history. Maybe without that suffering, they couldn’t person bounced backmost and gone each nan measurement to nan World Cup final. I’m happy we shared these moments.”

Now they purpose to feast successful galore more. Turan nan caput coach whitethorn beryllium an improbable fig to those pinch agelong memories, but has nary qualms admitting that he wants to emulate those heights achieved connected nan pitch. “Of people I person this dream successful my mind,” he says. “But I deliberation Shakhtar person each intends successful spot to realise my dreams.” Restoring their past glories would, by immoderate distance, beryllium his top feat yet.