Turkey captain Merih Demiral: Unity is our greatest strength ahead of World Cup
Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Turkish national football team captain Merih Demiral expressed confidence in the team's preparation and unity ahead of the World Cup.
- Demiral highlighted the team's strong bond and mutual belief as their greatest strength, aiming for an unforgettable tournament.
- He emphasized the responsibility of representing Turkey and the pride in achieving their World Cup dream, focusing on a match-by-match approach.
Turkish national football team captain Merih Demiral shared insights into the team's World Cup preparations, emphasizing a positive atmosphere and strong team spirit during their training camp in Miami. "Everything is going well. The camp is going great. Our work continues," Demiral stated, noting the transition from regeneration to more intense training sessions.
Our greatest strength is our unity. Our belief in each other. I think these are very important factors.
Demiral identified the team's unity and mutual belief as their most significant assets. "Our greatest strength is our unity. Our belief in each other. I think these are very important factors," he said. He expressed hope for an "unforgettable tournament" and stressed the importance of starting without injuries, highlighting the special significance of the World Cup for all players.
Reflecting on the honor of representing Turkey, the 28-year-old defender conveyed a sense of immense pride and responsibility. "It's an incredible feeling, I feel very lucky," Demiral remarked. "It's very special to be here, within the team, after 2002. We have a great responsibility. We prepare every day to represent our country. We are aware of this. We work every day to make our country and our people proud."
It's an incredible feeling, I feel very lucky. It's very special to be here, within the team, after 2002. We have a great responsibility. We prepare every day to represent our country.
While acknowledging that the team harbors ambitions for the tournament, Demiral prefers a pragmatic, match-by-match approach. "We have many goals in the cup. I won't state a specific goal. We need to go game by game," he explained. He also praised head coach Vincenzo Montella for his significant impact on the team's organization and performance, both on and off the field, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work with him.
We have many goals in the cup. I won't state a specific goal. We need to go game by game.
Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.