Akturkoglu admits Benfica turned him down, feared for his future | OneFootball

Kerem Akturkoglu left Benfica to join Fenerbahçe. The forward returned to Turkey after a season at Luz, stating he feared for the future of the transfer after securing victory for the Reds in the Champions League and eliminating the Istanbul club from UEFA's prestigious competition.

"I am very happy to join the most reputable club in Turkey. I have always given 100% at every club until the last moment, I never considered otherwise. It was the same at Benfica," the former Reds player began to say to Fenerbahçe's media.

Akturkoglu revealed that Benfica "refused to let" the winger leave, who eventually contacted the Turkish officials: "I told Hakan Safi and the president ‘I will play’, to which he replied ‘Of course you will, you will do what you have to do for the club with which you have a contract’. And Hakan Safi told me: ‘You will give your best. If you weren't like that, we wouldn't want you so much’".

"I would be lying if I said I didn't think things would change after scoring a goal and helping Benfica qualify. However, both our fans and our management expressed their nobility by saying I did what I had to do," added Kerem Akturkoglu.

To conclude, the now ex-Benfica player does not forget Ali Koç's words: "Our president called me the next day and said: 'We want you and we will have you. You did what you had to do.' My only goal is to show on the field the same value and honor that the club showed me and to be one of the greatest contributors to winning the championship."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.