Köçkü recalls Aktürkoğlu’s arrival at Benfica: “It was stressful” | OneFootball

Kerem Aktürkoglu and Orkun Kökçü, who shared a dressing room at Benfica during the 2024/25 season, met again with the Turkey national team, now representing Galatasaray and Besiktas, respectively. The two Turkish internationals appeared together at the press conference previewing the 2026 World Cup, with Turkey set to take the field in the early hours of Sunday (05:00) against Australia.

The Besiktas midfielder recalled Aktürkoglu’s arrival at Benfica on the final day of the 2024 summer transfer window, highlighting the winger’s immediate impact in red-and-white football. The winger also stressed the importance of the World Cup for Turkey and his happiness at playing again with Kökçü at the highest international level.

"I spent one year at Benfica. I think he arrived on the last day of the transfer window, it was a stressful moment for Kerem. But as soon as he arrived, I was sure he was going to succeed. I knew his quality and I knew exactly what Benfica needed. As soon as he arrived, he scored in ten straight games. We got on really well at Benfica, both on and off the pitch. It was a good season," said Kökçü.

The Turkish international also highlighted their reunion in the national team and the strong bond between them: "And now we are here. We want to make history, the most beautiful kind. We are very focused. It is a fantastic feeling to be here again with Kerem," he added.

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