Galatasaray's Uğurcan çakır on Muslera: 'It seems impossible to catch him!' | ‘Galatasaray fans are very special’

Galatasaray, which is continuing its preseason preparations in the Windischgarsten region of Austria, saw veteran goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır give an exclusive interview to the Demirören News Agency (DHA). Noting that his first season went well for him, Çakır said, “We’re trying to do our job. The first season went well for me and the team. God willing, I’ll try to do even better this season than last year. We’ll strive to achieve more—both individually and as a team. God willing, we’ll be able to do that. “Our training camp has started here, and it’s going well. We want to prepare for the season. Hopefully, we’ll have an even better season than last year,” he said.

‘WE GREW UP WATCHING MUSLERA’

The 30-year-old veteran goalkeeper, expressing his desire to set an example for young players, said, “We grew up watching Muslera. He served Galatasaray for many years and achieved great successes. He set an example for us. We, too, want to set an example for our younger teammates. We’re doing everything we can to perform at our best and become ethical, successful athletes. Hopefully, we’ll be able to achieve this,” he said.

‘GALATASARAY FANS ARE VERY SPECIAL’

Uğurcan Çakır, who said he works hard to live up to Galatasaray fans, stated, “Galatasaray fans are very special. The successes we’ve shared with them are very special. I’m working to live up to them. I’m trying to give my absolute best—both for my team and for our fans. Hopefully, this season we’ll make our fans proud with a great performance worthy of them,” he said.

‘I’LL DO MY BEST TO FULFILL WHATEVER COACH OKAN ASKS OF ME’

Çakır, who said he would do his best to fulfill any task given to him by Galatasaray Head Coach Okan Buruk, added, “I just joined the training camp. We haven’t had much chance to talk yet. But Coach Okan’s expectations are already clear. He wanted the same things last year as well. I was also trying to help Coach Okan and the team. Whatever Coach Okan asks of me, I’ll do my best to do it. Because what he wants is clear. These are the very things that have already led Galatasaray Sports Club to huge successes, such as four consecutive championships. I’ll do my best to do whatever Coach Okan asks of me,” he said.

‘I WANT TO BRING JOY TO ALL GALATASARAY FANS’

Noting that last season was a year of adjustment for him, Uğurcan Çakır expressed his desire to perform better this year. Emphasizing that he wants to bring joy to all Galatasaray fans, Çakır said, “Last season was a year of adjustment for me. Thankfully, it went well. This season, I’ll try to do even more. God willing, I’ll be able to achieve this. I’ve been playing soccer in this country for many years now. I’m trying to perform at my best both for the national team and within the Galatasaray family. Sometimes every soccer player goes through ups and downs. But I’m trying to help both Galatasaray and our national team by working as hard as I can. I have no other goal. I want to bring joy to my teammates, my coaches, and all Galatasaray fans to the best of my ability. I’ll strive to do that this year as well,” he said.

‘WEARING THE GALATASARAY JERSEY IS A VERY SPECIAL FEELING FOR ME’

The 30-year-old veteran goalkeeper, who expressed his happiness at Galatasaray, said, “I’m happy at Galatasaray; I wanted to come here. I wanted to prove myself in the Champions League and put in a good performance. Galatasaray is a huge, successful club. I’m happy to be here. What I achieved at Trabzonspor was already evident. That was one of the reasons Galatasaray chose me. I believe I accomplished great things at Trabzonspor. Coming to a great club like Galatasaray and wearing its jersey is a very special feeling for me. I’ll work very hard to live up to the expectations of both the fans and our team. I’ll do my best to perform as well as I can. I’ll strive to be a player worthy of my teammates, my coaches, and the Galatasaray fans. God willing, I’ll be able to achieve this,” he said.

‘WHAT WE ACHIEVED IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST YEAR WAS NO EASY FEAT’

Noting that the UEFA Champions League is a very special tournament, the national team player said, “Those were special matches for me because they’re high-pressure games. I also enjoy playing in those matches. The Champions League is a very special arena—as you all know. I want to prove myself there. Last season went well for me and for my team. This season, we want to achieve even more. Of course, it’ll be tough. What we achieved last year in the Champions League wasn’t easy. We made it to the Round of 16. This season will be tough, but we’ll try to do even better. Hopefully, we can pull it off,” he commented.

‘WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP FIVE YEARS IN A ROW AND BREAKING THE RECORD IS WORTHY OF COACH OKAN’

Çakır, who said he wanted to be part of a squad that wins the championship five years in a row, added, “Yes, because it will be a record in Turkey. Before this, our coach Fatih Terim had achieved it. Now Coach Okan has led the team to four consecutive championships. I was at Galatasaray during his final year. Winning the championship for five years in a row and breaking the record would be fitting for Coach Okan. I have teammates who have also achieved this. I have teammates who have been part of a team that won the championship four years in a row: Abdülkerim, Yunus, and Lucas. They, too, will want to win the championship five years in a row, break the record, and go down in history. I want to help them as well. God willing, we can achieve this,” he said.

‘I ALREADY SAW THE RESPECT THEY HAD FOR ME EVEN AS OPPONENTS’

Uğurcan Çakır, who noted that he had seen the respect shown to him by the yellow-and-red fans even before joining Galatasaray and that he was greeted with great enthusiasm following his transfer, said, “The fans really impressed me. They have a huge, massive fan base. That really made an impression on me. The first home game was a particularly special feeling for me. I had already seen the respect they showed me even as an opponent. When I arrived here, they welcomed me very warmly. I’ll work as hard as I can to not let them down and to prove myself worthy of them. I’ll try to put in a good performance. Hopefully, that will be my main goal this year,” he said.

‘IF WE HAD WON THE PARAGUAY MATCH FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM, WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO ADVANCE FROM THE GROUP’

Çakır, who said the match he regretted the most was the 2026 FIFA World Cup game against Paraguay, also noted that in his Galatasaray career, he could never forget the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match against Liverpool. Çakır said, “That’s a tough question. There are some from recent history, too. For the national team, I’d say the Paraguay match. If we had won that match against Paraguay with the national team, we might have had a chance to advance from the group stage. I was very disappointed by that match. I’d say that one. For Galatasaray, I’d say the away match against Liverpool,” he said.

‘WHAT SADDENED ME THE MOST WAS THAT WE COULDN’T MAKE OUR NATION PROUD’

The 30-year-old veteran goalkeeper, referring to how deeply disappointed they were with their performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said, “First and foremost, we were very disappointed because we wanted to make our country proud. We definitely didn’t have any individual goals. I don’t think anyone there had that kind of intention. Our only goal was to make our country proud. But we were very disappointed. We were truly very disappointed. But it was a learning experience for us. Just being in the World Cup after 24 years was an achievement in itself. But we had the strength to advance from the group stage. I truly believed in that. On a personal level, yes, I performed well and deserved to play there. Because I performed well both in the league and in the Champions League. I’d also played in the national team’s playoff matches against Kosovo, and before that against Romania, and I’d performed well. I’d 100 percent earned my spot on the team. But the tournament didn’t go well for me or for the team. Still, things like that happen sometimes. Both I and my teammates can sometimes have off days. More than anything else, what saddens me the most is that we couldn’t make our nation proud. I wasn’t upset about anything else. I wasn’t upset about anything on a personal level. I was only sad that we couldn’t make our country proud,” he said.

‘BEING A GOALKEEPER IS HARD’

Touching on the hardest part of being a goalkeeper in Turkey, Çakır said, “Every aspect of being a goalkeeper is difficult. Goalkeeping is a tough profession. You have to stay focused at all times. You always have to be at the highest level, both physically and mentally. It’s not just in Turkey—being a goalkeeper is hard all over the world.”

‘I’D LIKE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY CHILDREN’

Noting that soccer has given him a lot, Uğurcan Çakır said, “I’d like to spend more time with my kids. Because there are training camps. There are times when we’re apart for a long time. I have two children. I’d like to spend more time with my wife, my family, and my children. But thank God, I have a wonderful career. It has given me so much. That’s why I have no reason to complain. We have to accept it this way. Because soccer has given us everything in this life. Thanks to it, we’ve built our family and our home, and we’ve earned money. Soccer has given us everything. That’s why I have no reason to complain,” he said.

‘YOU CAN OVERCOME MANY THINGS BY WORKING HARD’

Emphasizing the importance of hard work, Uğurcan Çakır said, “Working hard means not just doing my job exceptionally well, but also living and breathing soccer—on the field, off the field, and in every aspect of my life—and striving to prove myself through hard work. As you said, if you make a mistake, it results in a goal. If you work hard on those situations in training, your brain does it automatically, and your chances of making a mistake go down. I’ve always believed this. I just believe in the power of hard work. You can overcome many things by working hard,” he said.

Noting that he is an experienced player, Çakır said, “I consider myself an experienced player now. I’m 30 years old. I’ve been playing in the league for a long time. I’ve been playing for about 7–8 seasons. I’ve achieved great successes. I’ve always tried to improve myself. I’ve always had very good relationships with my teammates. I’ve had great respect for all of them. I’ve always had excellent relationships with my coaches,” he said.

‘IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH UP TO MUSLERA’

Uğurcan Çakır, noting that Fernando Muslera has achieved tremendous success, stated that catching up to him is impossible. Çakır said, “Muslera has accomplished great things. But even before I came here, I was very confident in myself and believed I would perform well. I managed to do that in my first season. Hopefully, I’ll continue to perform well in the coming seasons. Muslera has had tremendous success here. It seems impossible to match his achievements. But I’ll do my best to help both the Galatasaray community and my teammates,” he said.

‘IT WILL BE A TOUGH LEAGUE’

Noting that the league will be very challenging due to the transfers made by the teams, Uğurcan Çakır said they want to be champions again. Çakır said, “Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor—and of course other teams as well—have made very good signings. It’s going to be a tough league, but as the champions of the last four years, we want to do everything in our power and give our best performance to win the championship again. We’re continuing our work to achieve this, and hopefully, we’ll be able to do it,” he said.

‘THE HARDEST DECISION I EVER MADE WAS LEAVING TRABZONSPOR’

The national team player, who said that leaving Trabzonspor was the hardest decision of his career, commented, “The hardest decision I ever made was leaving Trabzonspor. It was hard; it was emotional. Because I played for Trabzonspor for many, many years. It was an emotional decision for me. But I felt I needed to come here to prove certain things. When Galatasaray wanted me, I wanted to be here and achieve great successes with them. That’s why I made that decision,” he commented.

When asked about the song he chose for the championship celebration, Uğurcan Çakır said, “There’s no special reason. Everyone knows the song. All our fans knew it, too. The song was already popular. Our fans knew it by heart. I wanted to come out to that song,” he said.

‘WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BREAK A RECORD TOGETHER WITH GALATASARAY FANS’

Stating that their biggest goal is to set a record by winning their fifth consecutive championship, Uğurcan Çakır said, “We have an opportunity to break a record together with Galatasaray fans. Five championships in a row. We want to make this happen; we want to make them happy. God willing, this will be our most important goal. We’re working very hard for it and putting in a lot of effort. God willing, we’ll be able to achieve this. Personally, I also want to deliver outstanding performances worthy of Galatasaray fans. I want to help my teammates—both on and off the field. I want to support my coaches, the entire management, and everyone else, and we want to make our fans very happy. It’s going to be tough. We’ve made some good signings and built a strong team. A tough season lies ahead of us. We need to be prepared for this. But my teammates, myself, and our coaches have what it takes to overcome this challenge. God willing, we want to achieve this. Galatasaray fans have always supported us. We achieved great things last year, and they supported us wonderfully. We want to make them happy again this season. God willing, we’ll be able to do it,” he concluded.