TEAM

TURKEY

GROUP: F

PLAYER TO WATCH: Hakan Çalhanoğlu

EXPECTED FINISH: Round of 16

Turkey fixtures

The 2020 Euros was a disaster for Turkey. With many tipping them as dark horses, they conspired to lose every single game with defeats to Italy, Wales and Switzerland while scoring just one goal and conceding eight.

It was not received well by Turkish fans. Then-manager Senol Gunes would only last a few more months in the role and a 6-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to the Netherlands was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He agreed to step down in September 2021.

Since then they have raced through another manager. Stefan Kuntz lasted fewer than two years in the role before being replaced by current boss Vincenzo Montella. Under the Italian, Turkey have endured mixed fortunes, with a 3-2 victory over Germany beset by a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Austria.

They are somewhat fortunate with Group F. It is likely that Portugal will be the only team that can cause Turkey any material concerns. They only have one win in their history over the Portuguese and it is unlikely we see them changing that record here.

A much happier recent record against Czech Republic (three straight victories) and Georgia (three wins from five) suggests a relatively straightforward path to the knockout rounds so a second-place finish is entirely plausible.

Here are Turkey’s Group F fixtures in full:

Turkey vs Georgia: 18th June (Westfalenstadion)
Turkey vs Portugal: 22nd June (Westfalenstadion)
Turkey vs Czech Republic: 26th June (Volksparkstadion)

Standings

Venues

Key players

One of the reasons Turkey were so fancied at Euro 2020 was because of the youthful component of their squad. Indeed, they arrived with the youngest in the competition with an average age of just over 24 years old. Three years later, a certain maturity may well have gripped the squad.

In theory, this team has ripened. But can they spring a surprise? Let’s look at some of their key players:

Hakan Calhanoglu

Caps (goals): 84 (13)

Position: Midfielder

Club: Inter

A genius playmaker with an eye for goal, Hakan Calhanoglu became the all-time leading Turkish goalscorer in Serie A history last year when he overtook cult hero Sukru Gulesin’s total of 36 goals.

Calhanoglu played a pivotal, 13-goal role in Inter’s comprehensive 2023-24 Scudetto win and wears the captain’s armband for his country, where he has contributed more than 30 combined goals and assists in his international career.

Arda Guler

Caps (goals): 6 (1)

Position: Forward

Club: Real Madrid

The great hope for the future of Turkish football, Guler is enjoying an exciting breakthrough season, with a goal on his first start for the La Liga champions.

A former Fenerbahçe player who was picked up in the summer by the Spanish behemoths, Guler is blessed with incisive forward drives and a sweet left foot. He is also adept at breaking the lines and could form a killer partnership with Calhanoglu in the forward areas.

Kenan Yıldız

Caps (goals): 22 (6)

Position: Striker

Club: Juventus

An exciting and direct forward player that has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool in recent months, the 19-year-old burst onto the international scene with a fantastic goal against Germany, cutting inside and blasting into the top right corner to help his team to a 3-2 victory.

While goals have been hard to come by for Juventus this season, he has been a trusted part of Massimiliano Allegri’s plan. The experienced Italian manager has stuck with him regularly throughout the campaign and he is likely to play a key role for Turkey this year as a result.

Previous performances in the Euros

Turkey have made five appearances at the European Championships since 1996 and have a good record since then, with one journey to the final four and one to the quarter-finals.

Here’s a breakdown of their history at the Euros.

1960: Did not qualify
1964: Did not qualify
1968: Did not qualify
1972: Did not qualify
1976: Did not qualify
1980: Did not qualify
1984: Did not qualify
1988: Did not qualify
1992: Did not qualify
1996: Group stage (fourth in Group D)
2000: Quarter-finals (lost 2-0 to Portugal)
2004: Did not qualify
2008: Semi-finals (lost 3-2 to Germany)
2012: Did not qualify
2016: Group stage (third in Group D)
2020: Group stage (fourth in Group A)

Expectations

Turkey have to shake the chastening experience of their previous tournament off and go again, with an easier qualifying group and a more mature team to help them overcome their rivals.

While they have more than enough to make it to the knockout stage, it is difficult to see how they make it past an opponent which is likely to be an impressive France unit.

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change