'Turkish Messi' ready to replace Modric at Real Madrid
As Real Madrid prepare to face Juventus in the Club World Cup on Tuesday (20:00 BST), it appears one rising star is already a key figure for new boss Xabi Alonso.
Nicknamed 'the Turkish Messi', Arda Guler struggled to live up to the hype last season under Carlo Ancelotti, but the 20-year-old is enjoying a fresh lease of life following the arrival of the Italian's replacement.
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BBC Sport examines the rise, fall and resurgence of a player blessed with enough talent to become one of the world's best.
2024-25: Guler's lost season
This time last year, Guler looked poised to take a pivotal role in the regeneration of Real's midfield.
The former Fenerbahce starlet had finished his first season in Spain in fine style, scoring six goals in just 10 La Liga appearances to aid his team's title triumph.
Guler further impressed at Euro 2024 for Turkey, most notably with a goal of the tournament contender as he showcased his smooth technique by curling home a delicious 25-yard strike against Georgia.
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Right then, he appeared ready to follow in the footsteps of Real team-mates like Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga: teenage recruits from abroad who were signed for their huge potential and quickly blossomed into key performers.
But it didn't happen. Instead, 2024-25 turned into a lost season.
Ancelotti rarely trusted Guler in big games, with his lack of importance underlined when he was an unused substitute for both legs of Real's Champions League quarter-final exit to Arsenal.
Guler finished the season with less than 1,800 minutes played in all competitions – the squad's second-lowest tally (aside from long-term injury absentees) – to spark speculation he may seek to revive his career by leaving Madrid.
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But then came Ancelotti's departure, Alonso's appointment, and so far nobody has benefited more than Guler.
Replacing Modric in the middle?
Part of Guler's problem in establishing himself under Ancelotti was uncertainty over his best position.
The youngster flitted between a central role and the right-wing berth that he occupied during his early days – which also gave rise to the comparisons with Lionel Messi, for his ability to cut inside and shoot or create with his cultured left foot.
Guler himself has stated a preference for playing inside, where he has more opportunities to touch the ball and influence play.
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Alonso agrees, stating the player "needs to be close to the ball", and selecting him in that role for Real's last two group games - victories over Pachuca and RB Salzburg - with Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz left on the bench.
Granted his wish, Guler responded with a pair of fine performances. After netting the second goal against Pachuca he was also instrumental in downing the Austrians, completing more passes than any other player during his time on the field.
In both those games, Guler was replaced midway through the second half by Modric. It felt symbolic: the old master relegated to the role of understudy, tasked with protecting the energy reserves of the man who has taken his place.
Modric will leave Real immediately after the Club World Cup, with AC Milan his likely destination. Current evidence suggests Alonso has replaced him already.
Luka Modric replaced Guler in Madrid's recent victories over Pachuca and RB Salzburg [Getty Images]
Quality, mentality and 'big things in store'
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is among those convinced Guler will become a world superstar – and he knows better than most.
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The Portuguese gave Guler, then just 16, his debut with Fenerbahce in 2021, and recalls he was immediately aware of the youngster's rare ability.
"He reminded me of James Rodriguez when I coached him at the age of 19, recently arrived at Porto," Pereira told Spanish newspaper Marca last week. "They are two players with exceptional talent.
"He [Guler] was a boy among men, but every time he received the ball he found the final pass. And if he made a mistake, he asked for the ball back to try again."
Pereira doesn't believe the comparison with Messi has much merit, instead agreeing with the player himself – and apparently Alonso – that he should be given the central midfield role previously occupied by Modric.
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"I always saw him more as an eight or a 10 because of his ability to unbalance opposition between the lines," he added.
"He's intelligent, he looks for solutions before he receives the ball, he can play long or short, he can make the final pass or shoot from long range.
"He understands the game and always wants to know more. I can definitely see him playing instead of Modric."
And the difficulties encountered by Guler last season have done nothing to dampen Pereira's expectations of his former player's potential.
"Coming to Real Madrid, with so many top-quality players, isn't easy," he concluded. "But he'll find his place. I have no doubt his future has big things in store. He's got the quality and mentality to become a main protagonist."
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Less than a month into Alonso's reign, that process is already unfolding.
And if he shines in the last-16 tie against Juventus, it would be another sign Guler is ready to take the football world by storm.
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New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Let's see if they criticise us now' – a landmark Saudi win and what it means for football
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23 minutes ago
Saudi Arabia's great soccer experiment is paying off spectacularly at the Club World Cup
MANCHESTER, England -- The great Saudi Arabian soccer experiment is on full show at the Club World Cup. The oil-rich kingdom, which is spending billions of dollars to become a major player in the world's most popular sport, scored a big win on the field Monday when Al Hilal beat Premier League giant Manchester City 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a seismic result in soccer terms; possibly the biggest upset of the tournament and precisely the type of statement Saudi Arabia has wanted to make since embarking on a project that will ultimately see it stage the World Cup in 2034. 'We wanted to show that Al Hilal has the talent, the power to be here,' said defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who was among a slew of star players paid fortunes to leave Europe's top clubs for the Saudi Pro League in recent years. The biggest of them all was Cristiano Ronaldo, who completed one of the most stunning moves in soccer history when joining Al Nassr for a reported salary of up to $200 million a year in 2022. That deal prompted a spectacular recruitment drive by Saudi teams — backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund — and in came superstars like Neymar and Karim Benzema, while audacious attempts were made to sign Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Confirmation that Saudi Arabia had won the right to host the World Cup came in December. On the field, the Club World Cup was the first chance for the country to make a global statement about the growth of its domestic game, which is largely unheralded outside of Asia. It is likely why Al Hilal — Saudi Arabia's most successful team — was so eager to make another marquee signing before the tournament began and tried, but failed, to lure Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. It pulled off a coup by hiring coach Simone Inzaghi. The Italian arrived after leading Inter Milan to a second Champions League final in three seasons and he is already making a mark with his new team after drawing 1-1 against Real Madrid in the group stage and then beating City. 'We had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City are, we knew we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we were great," Inzaghi said. The broader picture is what Al Hilal's run says about the standard of soccer in Saudi Arabia, which has been dismissed by some as a cash grab for players, who can earn far more than if they'd remained in Europe. 'Let's see now if they will criticize us after these games," said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al Hilal from Italian team Lazio. 'It's not like how they are speaking about the league.' Despite recruiting so many players from Europe's top clubs — including Champions League winners N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino — it is difficult to judge the quality of the Saudi League. To put Al Hilal's run into context: while it may have won a record 19 league titles and four Asian championships, it is not the Saudi Arabia's reigning national champion, having been beaten to the title by Benzema's Al-Ittihad last season. Another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, which counts former Liverpool forward Firmino and ex Manchester City winger Mahrez among its players, won the Asian Champions League this year. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is yet to win the title in three attempts with Al Nassr — pointing to the depth of strength in the league. Al Hilal's performances have also come despite releasing Brazil great Neymar in January and with leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic having played no part so far because of injury. The question now is how far Al Hilal can go. Next up is Brazil's Fluminense in the quarterfinals in Orlando on Friday. City's exit — along with Inter Milan's defeat to Fluminense — has opened up that side of the draw, which also features Palmeiras and Chelsea. On paper it looks like the favorable side of the draw, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain on the other side. But the success of Brazilian teams has been another theme of the tournament and Al Hilal will have to beat at least one more if it is to advance to the final. Inzaghi, however, is used to overachieving. His two Champions League finals with Inter Milan came despite having an aging team and relying on savvy deals in the transfer market to pick up free agents and veteran players. Inter's victory against Barcelona in the semifinals of this year's competition was one of the all-time classic contests — winning 7-6 on aggregate. Al Hilal's impressive run has come after Inzaghi spent just one week training with the team before the tournament. Even if it is eliminated in the next round, a quarterfinals appearance would represent an outstanding campaign for a team that was not expected to compete for the title. Saudi Arabia's growing influence on sport — which also includes LIV Golf, world championship boxing, F1 and the buyout of Premier League team Newcastle — will continue to raise accusations it is 'sportswashing' its reputation. Amnesty international called it 'reckless' to grant it the World Cup over concerns about the country's human rights record.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Saudi Arabia's great soccer experiment is paying off spectacularly at the Club World Cup
Associated Press MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The great Saudi Arabian soccer experiment is on full show at the Club World Cup. The oil-rich kingdom, which is spending billions of dollars to become a major player in the world's most popular sport, scored a big win on the field Monday when Al Hilal beat Premier League giant Manchester City 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a seismic result in soccer terms; possibly the biggest upset of the tournament and precisely the type of statement Saudi Arabia has wanted to make since embarking on a project that will ultimately see it stage the World Cup in 2034. 'We wanted to show that Al Hilal has the talent, the power to be here,' said defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who was among a slew of star players paid fortunes to leave Europe's top clubs for the Saudi Pro League in recent years. Superstar signings and ones that got away The biggest of them all was Cristiano Ronaldo, who completed one of the most stunning moves in soccer history when joining Al Nassr for a reported salary of up to $200 million a year in 2022. That deal prompted a spectacular recruitment drive by Saudi teams — backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund — and in came superstars like Neymar and Karim Benzema, while audacious attempts were made to sign Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Confirmation that Saudi Arabia had won the right to host the World Cup came in December. On the field, the Club World Cup was the first chance for the country to make a global statement about the growth of its domestic game, which is largely unheralded outside of Asia. It is likely why Al Hilal — Saudi Arabia's most successful team — was so eager to make another marquee signing before the tournament began and tried, but failed, to lure Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. It pulled off a coup by hiring coach Simone Inzaghi. The Italian arrived after leading Inter Milan to a second Champions League final in three seasons and he is already making a mark with his new team after drawing 1-1 against Real Madrid in the group stage and then beating City. 'We had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City are, we knew we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we were great," Inzaghi said. Saudi Arabian soccer has faced doubts The broader picture is what Al Hilal's run says about the standard of soccer in Saudi Arabia, which has been dismissed by some as a cash grab for players, who can earn far more than if they'd remained in Europe. 'Let's see now if they will criticize us after these games," said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al Hilal from Italian team Lazio. 'It's not like how they are speaking about the league.' Despite recruiting so many players from Europe's top clubs — including Champions League winners N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino — it is difficult to judge the quality of the Saudi League. To put Al Hilal's run into context: while it may have won a record 19 league titles and four Asian championships, it is not the Saudi Arabia's reigning national champion, having been beaten to the title by Benzema's Al-Ittihad last season. Another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, which counts former Liverpool forward Firmino and ex Manchester City winger Mahrez among its players, won the Asian Champions League this year. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is yet to win the title in three attempts with Al Nassr — pointing to the depth of strength in the league. Al Hilal's performances have also come despite releasing Brazil great Neymar in January and with leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic having played no part so far because of injury. Can Al Hilal win the Club World Cup? The question now is how far Al Hilal can go. Next up is Brazil's Fluminense in the quarterfinals in Orlando on Friday. City's exit — along with Inter Milan's defeat to Fluminense — has opened up that side of the draw, which also features Palmeiras and Chelsea. On paper it looks like the favorable side of the draw, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain on the other side. But the success of Brazilian teams has been another theme of the tournament and Al Hilal will have to beat at least one more if it is to advance to the final. Inzaghi, however, is used to overachieving. His two Champions League finals with Inter Milan came despite having an aging team and relying on savvy deals in the transfer market to pick up free agents and veteran players. Inter's victory against Barcelona in the semifinals of this year's competition was one of the all-time classic contests — winning 7-6 on aggregate. Al Hilal's impressive run has come after Inzaghi spent just one week training with the team before the tournament. Even if it is eliminated in the next round, a quarterfinals appearance would represent an outstanding campaign for a team that was not expected to compete for the title. Sportswashing accusations remain Saudi Arabia's growing influence on sport — which also includes LIV Golf, world championship boxing, F1 and the buyout of Premier League team Newcastle — will continue to raise accusations it is 'sportswashing' its reputation. Amnesty international called it 'reckless' to grant it the World Cup over concerns about the country's human rights record. But its investment in sport is undoubtedly paying off and Al Hilal's run is succeeding in raising the profile of its soccer league. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer: recommended
