Tell the truth

While Leo Messi’s Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid were travelling in pre-season to Los Angeles, Miami or on an Asian tour, we were running on the golf course in Segovia. That’s where we did most of our physical training at Atlético Madrid.

We would leave the first day after the summer holidays, get on the team bus and go straight to the training camp. At least 10 days or two weeks of hard work in a place in the middle of the forest – Los Ángeles de San Rafael – an hour’s drive from Madrid.

It was nothing to do with what our rivals did. That was just what Diego Simeone believed in.

He always told us the truth. “Even if we don’t have as much talent as them, we can beat them. How? By running and fighting more than them.” When we started to get results with this philosophy, I started to enjoy the defensive aspect of the game.

Because playing as a team, not conceding goals, not getting beaten, is a great feeling.

Simeone also has a saying: “If you keep a clean sheet, you always have a chance to win the game.” Yes, it is a simple saying, but fundamental to achieving the goals we aimed for. Because if you position yourself correctly in defence, in the end you will also be able to organise your attack effectively. And if you defend, fight for the ball and win possession, your confidence grows.

"SIMEONE WAS THE COACH WHO GOT THE BEST OUT OF ME"

The toughness that comes with defending and fighting keeps you in the game and gives you more courage. And a courageous team always has hope. This is a very important aspect of football. It is the first thing Simeone teaches a player: “To fight, to go at the opponent and win the ball.”

He achieved it with me, and I didn’t have any physical advantage over opponents. By contrast, I was more of an injury-prone player. 

In important matches and critical moments, Simeone motivated me the right way and always showed that he believed in me. He never held back my ability to lead. On the contrary, he gave me that freedom. He made sure I kept my physical qualities and always challenged me tactically. In the end, he made me see the game not just as an attacker, but the complete package. He was the one who gave me that vision.

I can say it straight: Simeone was the coach who got the best out of me in my career.

"in that final we proved to be far superior"

Nowadays, whenever we get together, we always talk about football. Simeone is one of the hardest-working people I have ever seen in my life. He thinks about football every moment of his life, always working on how to improve the game. He also does it during his holidays. In October 2023, he spent time in Turkey during an international break. While there, he took some time to come and see me. Of course, on that visit we spoke about football.

During my time at Atlético, ‘Profe’ Ortega, the physical trainer, was also important. His training sessions were very, very hard. But there was an important detail – he made you believe in his method. If a player believes in the method, they give 100 per cent. I can say that because I experienced that feeling with him.

I remember when we scored four goals against Chelsea in the 2012 European Super Cup. Physically they were a superior team to us, but once we finished our preparation in Los Ángeles de San Rafael, we could compete against any team in the world. And in that final we proved to be far superior to them. We beat them 4-1, with an incredible performance from Rafael Falcao. He scored three goals against a team that had just won the Champions League.

I don’t want to leave out Germán Burgos, either. He was in charge of explaining the players’ roles in the dressing room before the game, and he prepared us very well. In training, Germán developed new tactics based on the defensive and offensive strategies of the opponent. We always got positive results with these practices, so we always had great faith in his methods.

"When you work with Luis Enrique, you have a clear plan of attack in mind"

At Atlético, it was crucial for us to be a team that prioritised defence, transitional play and set-piece strategies. We had players like Diego Godín, Miranda, Raúl García, Falcao, Diego Costa and David Villa. All of them were good at heading the ball. In addition, Gabi, Antoine Griezmann and Koke were very adept at delivering set-pieces. The combination of these talents, with German’s tactics, yielded very successful results.

Among the coaches I also played for was Luis Enrique, during my time at Barcelona. It was a very important time for me offensively, because he is a coach who has developed his offensive system brilliantly.

Coaches usually focus on the first and second zones of the pitch, leaving the third zone, the final third, to the creativity of the players. But Luis Enrique also liked to prepare his players in the third zone. Of course, he believes in the talent of the players, but he works to ensure that everyone is in the right position, reacts correctly, makes the right runs and receives the ball in the right places. He demonstrates this both tactically and through the practical approach of his players.

When you work with Luis Enrique, you have a clear plan of attack in mind. You know very well how to act and how to react.

"It might have been hasty, but I am glad I made that decision"

For instance, although Spain did not win, I watched with admiration the contribution he made to Spanish football at Euro 2020. At times, even if the results did not go in Spain’s favour, tactically he outplayed all his opponents. Spain excelled with ball possession, controlling the game and knowing very well how to attack in the second zone of the pitch, depending on the opposition’s press.

In short, Luis Enrique is a genius. Above all, I think, when it comes to using the number eights and full-backs in attack.

All the coaches I played for have been a big influence on me. As a player, I had already made the decision to become a coach. It was something planned because I had always been interested in working on the tactical aspects of the game, and how to develop formations.

But the opportunity came spontaneously. After I finished my playing career, I started doing  my badges. In April 2023, our president at Eyüpspor, Murat Özkaya, offered me a coaching position. I believed in the project and thought that I could achieve what I dreamed of here, so I began the job. It might have been hasty, but I am glad I made that decision.

"we are a family, and we treat each other as we do in our family"

As I said, I am influenced by every coach I have worked with, but also by every person I trust outside of soccer. I try to learn from them as well, because the world is changing fast. To connect with different generations, you need to know how to communicate with them correctly.

I am a coach who sets the rules from the beginning and expects everyone to respect them. The first day I came to the team, I told the players: “I will always be open to you. You can talk to me about anything, share your problems, your happiness. We can succeed or fail, but I can promise you one thing: I will never lie to you.”

I am here to teach my players something. Of course, I work hard in training, with analysis, to give them the maximum, and I expect everyone to contribute. But apart from that, we are a family. We treat each other as we do in our family.

I know that coaching is a new challenge in life, very different from before. But there is a lot in me from my playing days.

"winning the Champions League with Atlético is one of my big goals"

I like to have the ball and to press high. I don’t know how to divert from the basics of football, street football – looking for the 1v1 – and to build play around passing.

On those foundations, I want to create my own model of play.

In the 2023/24 season, we became league champions and were promoted to the Turkish Süper Lig. We were also the team that had most possession and ran the furthest. I demanded a lot from my players, both physically and psychologically. To maintain this every season seems very difficult, but this is what I aspire to achieve.

On my trips to Madrid to see Simeone and his training sessions, many Atlético Madrid fans ask me if I would like to coach the club one day.

My answer? The truth. “I know it’s not possible to achieve more than Simeone, but of course I would like to coach Atlético Madrid and win the Champions League,” I tell them.

Yes, winning the Champions League with Atlético is one of my big goals as a coach, but it’s still too early for that.

For now, I am very happy at Eyüpspor. It is the perfect place to develop and work very hard if I want to compete one day against the best coaches in the world.