Real Madrid star admits ‘I didn’t feel like lifting the Champions League trophy’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid star Arda Güler has admitted that he did not derive much enjoyment from lifting the Champions League trophy last season.

Midfielder Güler, of course, made the move to Spain’s capital in the summer of 2023, from Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.

And in his first season in Spain’s capital, the youngster went on to secure a Champions League and La Liga double with Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Güler, however, contributed little in the grand scheme of things, owing to a lack of game time across the length of the campaign.

And such shortcomings culminated in borderline guilt on the part of the 20-year-old when it came to lifting European football’s most prestigious trophy.

Speaking during an interview with The Players Tribune this week, Güler admitted:

“Being on the bench is not an easy situation. When we won the Champions League, I didn’t feel like lifting the trophy because I hadn’t contributed much on the pitch. That’s why I was so embarrassed when Ancelotti gave me the microphone at Cibeles . I had no intention of going up on the roof of the bus at all because I was very tired, and I remember two friends texting me: ‘Where are you? We can’t see you.’ I was downstairs talking to Kroos and Modrić, and Modrić was asking me if Mourinho was going to coach Fenerbahçe. My friends were like, ‘Are you crazy? You just won the Champions League! Go up and celebrate!’ But that’s who I am. It’s not enough for me to win a title. I have to feel like I’ve earned it. That’s why the Euros were different. When I scored against Georgia, my phone exploded. Likes. Followers. Messages. Congratulations. Crazy.”

Conor Laird – GSFN