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Hello! Today we talk about the fastest goal scorer of the World Cup, who dares not set foot in his home country.
On the road:
🤔 Did you really target Rodri?
⛔ No Messi/Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or
⛰️ A game halfway up Everest
Sukur’s Exile in the United States: Former striker fears prison if he returns to Türkiye
Every list of the best Turkish footballers would have Hakan Sukur. Any list worthy of the name would have him very near the top. Kral, they called him, or “King.” Which is what Sukur was.
His prolific goalscoring output earned him that title, as well as trophies. He was part of Galatasaray’s UEFA Cup (now Europa League)-winning team in 2000 and lifted eight domestic titles. But nowhere in Istanbul will you find a mention of him. Sukur is a ghost. It’s as if he never existed.
Announcement
The Athletic Nick Miller tracked him down in California, where the 53-year-old is in a kind of self-imposed exile. Nick’s interview with him is compelling, bringing to life a story I had no knowledge of: the sad fate of a former national hero who led Turkey to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and scored the fastest goal (10.8 seconds) in the tournament’s history (below).
Sukur is persona non grata in his homeland. People there are literally afraid to mention his name. If he returns, he risks going to prison. What the hell happened?
How did it come to this?
In his old life, Sukur was a member of the Turkish royal family. After his playing career ended, he was elected to the country’s parliament and served a useful role as a public relations tool. He was a friend of Turkey’s current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a figure far from known as a libertarian.
Sukur was also friends with Fethullah Gulen, someone Nick describes as a “religious preacher” who has amassed a huge (almost cult-like) following in Turkey. Sukur was one of those followers, and when Gulen fell out of favor with Erdogan, the former footballer’s reputation suffered.
Gulen is accused of being behind the attempt to overthrow Erdogan and his government in a violent coup in 2016. Sukur, for his own safety, had moved to the United States at the time and was threatened with four years in prison after posting online messages criticizing Erdogan and his son.
Getty Images/Hakan Sukur
His assets were seized. His father was temporarily arrested (or “held hostage,” according to Sukur). He never returned. “They wanted me to go back to Turkey and accept the rhetoric of the current regime,” he told Nick. “I didn’t accept their offer.”
He who must not be named
It is no exaggeration to say that Sukur has been erased from Turkey’s consciousness. He is nowhere mentioned in any of Galatasaray’s tributes to past triumphs. It is seen as politically dangerous to talk about him. A TV commentator who did so was promptly removed from the airwaves.
Announcement
In the US, he opened a coffee shop (which soon began to receive strange and intimidating visitors). He has worked as an Uber driver and an Amazon distributor, and today he coaches young soccer players. He rarely gives interviews, and this one was worth months of effort on Nick’s part.
“I’m like Voldemort,” Sukur said. “He who must not be named. But a good version.”
Press Review 🗞️
- Vinicius Junior wants Spain to be stripped of the 2030 World Cup if the country fails to address its record on racism. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente responded by saying Spain is “not racist”. He is missing the point.
- Remember the Chelsea hierarchy selling the club’s hotels to a company controlled by said hierarchy? They raised £76.5 million ($100.5 million), did Chelsea a favor with profit and sustainability rules, and the Premier League decided it was all good.
- Here’s a deal to watch for the long haul: Liverpool have signed striker Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea’s academy. He’s 16 and is expected to go far.
- Inter Miami will move into their new stadium Miami Freedom Park in 2026. It’s official and it’s a big step forward.
- Valencia striker Rafa Mir appeared in court yesterday after being arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
- After leaving Borussia Dortmund, 35-year-old Mats Hummels has agreed to a free transfer to Roma. Nice stuff. There’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Real ❤️ Rodri? Looking at Madrid’s methods on big transfers
Spanish newspaper AS made a lot of headlines this week when it published a picture of Rodri on its front page and called him Real Madrid’s transfer project for 2025.
We have seen this before with players like Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Some would call it Madrid’s playbook. The local media (who may seem like the guardians of the two Spanish greats) have set the ball rolling with news and analysis. Madrid wait for the right moment and make their move when the pitch is hot. The method is tried and tested.
Rodri’s contract at Manchester City expires in 2027. He is not taking the opportunity to extend it. I think we will know more.
…but will he win the Ballon d’Or?
There is no mystery behind Madrid’s interest in Rodri. He is the market leader in his position. He is also a top candidate for the 2024 Ballon d’Or and, without hesitation, he or Vinicius Jr (below) should win it.
Getty Images
Yesterday, the Ballon d’Or nominees for the men’s and women’s games were announced, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo absent for the first time in two decades. That era is over.
Stadium in the sky
Aizar Raldes/AFP via Getty Images
Bolivia is a brutal environment for soccer. It has geography on its side, so mountainous that today’s World Cup qualifier between Bolivia and Venezuela will take place… wait for it… 4,150 meters above sea level (you get the message from the photo above). Curiosity piqued, Stuart James decided to investigate.
Announcement
It is a first because no previous international match has been staged at the Estadio Municipal de El Alto, a venue in Bolivia’s second-largest city. Venezuela’s players are using hyperbaric chambers (a method of oxygen therapy) to prepare. The altitude makes Bolivia exceptionally tough to beat on home soil.
Tonight’s result might normally elude you, but on this occasion pay attention. TAFC will too.
Around the TAFC
(John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
- Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell has spoken out about their difficult transfer window. In his words: “There are things we have got wrong in our strategy.” One wonders if there is an alignment there.
- On Tuesday we reported The Athletic Chelsea recruitment survey. The results are in, and 80 percent of respondents have less faith in the club’s owners than they did in May. All good, then.
- We await the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, but in the meantime, USMNT interim coach Mikey Varas (above) is holding firm. I must confess that I know nothing about him, or at least I didn’t until I read this excellent article.
- Republic of Ireland vs England on Saturday. In a parallel universe, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish might have been wearing green.
- The Nations League returns tonight, but how does it work, what’s changed and why does it matter? Eduardo Tansley has all the answers.
- Most clicked in yesterday’s TAFC: our PSR explainer. No wonder.
Capture a game
UEFA Nations League, Group 1: Portugal vs Croatia, 14.45/19.45, ViX; Scotland vs Poland, 14.45/19.45 — Fox Sports Plus, Fubo, ITV4; Group 4: Serbia vs Spain, 14.45/19.45 — Fox Sports 2, Fubo.
CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers: Bolivia vs Venezuela, 16:00-21:00 — Fanatiz PPV, FIFA+; Argentina vs Chile — 21:00-01:00, Universo, Fubo, Premier Sports 1.
(Photo: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)