Hakan Calhanoglu had warned the whole locker room before Inter-Juventus about the danger posed by Kenan Yildiz. The Turkish midfielder admitted this himself during an interview given from his national team’s retreat on TV8.5.
The midfielder, who was injured during the derby d’Italia, had raised the alarm to all his teammates in the locker room: Before the match with Juventus I said, ‘Don’t let Kenan Yildiz breathe.’ And then it was the player who turned the tide of the match. After the game I said, ‘I told you so.’ The value and trust that Kenan receives in Italy is a very good thing. We are greatly respected in Italy.
During the interview, Calhanoglu came back to the penalty he missed against Napoli in the last round of league play: I don’t run away from my responsibilities. If I miss another penalty, I’ll take it again. Some might think I have an ego. It’s not about that, I trust myself.
The Inter midfielder also revealed a transfer market backstory: I had the chance to go back to Turkey while I was in Milan. However, at that time Galatasaray had the presidential elections. It didn’t happen. Right now I’m at Inter and I’ve extended my contract with Inter until 2027. In the future? I don’t know if it will happen. It would be wrong if I said something now and I don’t want to give anyone hope.
Finally, he talked about the growth of the Nerazzurri after the final lost in his Istanbul: It was difficult for us when we lost the Champions League. But after that year we became champions at Inter and we obtained the second star. We’re doing well. The next games will be important for us. The format has changed a lot in the Champions League.
