Türkiye's Hakan Çalhanoğlu on his first EURO goal and the Netherlands quarter-final

Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored his first-ever EURO goal, at his third final tournament, when he found the net against Czechia in Türkiye's decisive group game. Now, if the 30-year-old midfielder plays in their quarter-final against the Netherlands, he will equal Rüştü Reçber's record of nine appearances for the Crescent-Stars in the UEFA European Championship.

Born and raised in Germany, Hakan Çalhanoğlu sat down with EURO2024.com to discuss the significance of captaining Türkiye at a major tournament, the support from the Turkish fans and what to expect from the upcoming last-eight tie against the Oranje.

How would you assess Türkiye's four games so far at EURO 2024?

Our camp started in our facilities in Istanbul. Our coach called us in early because he knows how important this tournament is for us. We also attach great importance to it. We started the camp very well. Our training sessions were really intense. Tactically, we have improved a lot. Of course, our camp has been going very well since the day we arrived. Everyone is very happy. The games went well for us and now we are exactly where we want to be in the competition.

What emotions did you feel after your first EURO goal? You famously scored a fantastic goal for Hamburg at the same end ten years ago.

Actually, that position – I really wanted the ball to come to me. I know that I'm dangerous both inside and outside the penalty area. Kenan Yıldız had already tried it before, but the goalkeeper saved it. Then İsmail Yüksek shot and it didn't happen. When İsmail saw me in the gap, I took advantage of the chance. It was a nice shot.

Ten years have passed since that goal you mentioned. Of course, I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. Before going to the stadium, they asked me from where on the pitch I hit the ball. I was there with Okay Yokuşlu, then other players came and we watched it again on social media. It's a nice feeling.

Then, the goal I scored against Czechia, again in the same stadium, this gives me a special type of happiness. It was a very beautiful moment for me. The Hamburg stadium is also very beautiful; it's a city I love very much.

What kind of game are you expecting against the Netherlands? In the last match between the teams, nearly three years ago, Türkiye lost 6-1 – as they did in their previous meeting with Austria before beating them in the round of 16.

Each match of the tournament is different. Other countries and favourite teams have been eliminated. In the round of 16, we defeated the best performing team in the tournament, in my opinion – Austria were a very strong opponent indeed. We expect our fans to be there in Berlin for the Netherlands game. We have more hope and we feel happy. We hope to get another victory and make our people and our country happy once again. This is our biggest dream.

Of course, I haven't forgotten that [6-1] defeat, but there is nothing we cannot achieve. Nothing is impossible. In fact, before the Austria match, we said that we wanted to get revenge and we did just that. We want to get on the field with the same mindset. I'm playing with Stefan [de Vrij] and Denzel [Dumfries] at club level. I'm really happy to be able to see them; it's been a month since we last saw each other. It'll be a good memory, but I hope to be on the winning side.

You scored a great long-range goal when Türkiye beat the Netherlands 4-2 at home during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, shortly before that 6-1 loss. Do you remember the goal?

It was outside the penalty area. I drove the ball into the far corner. I hit the ball nicely. Burak Yılmaz's free-kick goal before that was also great. He scored it with his left foot. We scored great goals that day. Like I said, we can do this. We believe in ourselves. Like I said, nothing is impossible.

I'm sure they have their reservations about us, too. Because, let's be realistic, nobody really expected us to come this far in the competition except for our country and our people. We've always set our hearts on the field and showed our spirit. We fought until the end. I am sure they are also hesitant about us.

It will be your ninth EURO match if you play against the Netherlands, equalling Rüştü Reçber's Türkiye record. What do you think about that?

Rüştü Reçber is one of our legendary names. I'm happy and proud. I'm also honoured to be the captain of this team. In the end, I want to represent my country in the best way possible. Even when I'm playing in Europe, my heart is always here. Like I've said, the record is simply not important to me. But, if that's the case, then it makes me happy. It's a good thing.

What can you tell us about the tactical nuances that define coach Vincenzo Montella, his philosophy and his training style?

I previously worked with our coach at AC Milan, so I know him very well. He's a coach who is open to anything. He's a coach who likes sharing. I was really happy when he became the national team's coach. I knew he'd help us tremendously in terms of tactics, and we show that on the pitch. We're trying to represent it out there.

We sometimes try different playmaking styles. Him and his technical team, they work really hard for this squad. We have a coach who is solely focused on his job. Our players have embraced him as well. They love him very much.

He's a humble, warm person. We always make him interact with our fans when we win because the coach's efforts are huge, along with his team. Therefore, we're really happy he's working with us. We're really happy that we have such an amazing coach.

Could you tell us your thoughts about the fans supporting you in the stadiums?

They always support the national team. This particular thing makes me really happy. Everyone comes to the games with national jerseys on. The stadium always looks white and red. That's an incredible thing to see. We see our people's happiness after the game, once they hit the streets.

That makes us even happier, because I also hit the streets when I watched the games in 2008 [when Türkiye reached the semi-finals]. We did convoys with Turkish flags. So, I'm familiar with that sentiment. And, right now, I'm the captain of our national football team. This is a different point of honour for me.

Sometimes, you dream about such things. And when those dreams come true, you can't help but be in disbelief. I'd really like to thank the fans. They've supported us beautifully. I'm sure they'll keep supporting us in Berlin as well.