Uproar among the Turkish national team
Goalkeeper simply leaves after victory – association reacts
Updated 10/13/2025 – 9:21 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Because he was not in the squad against Bulgaria, Berke Özer simply left the Turkish team headquarters. The association is outraged.
Unrest in the Turkish national team: After the 6-1 victory in the World Cup qualification in Bulgaria, the mood in the team around Real star Arda Güler should actually be good. But now substitute goalkeeper Berke Özer has caused a scandal.
As the Turkish association TFF announced on Sunday, the 25-year-old from French club OSC Lille left the team camp in Istanbul “at his own request and without the permission of our technical and administrative staff.” The reason given by Özer was that he was not in the squad for Saturday’s game in Sofia.
In its statement, the TFF found clear words for the player’s action: In a phase in which the long-awaited World Cup participation is at stake and unity and solidarity in the team are at their peak, such behavior is unacceptable. “Discipline, respect and team spirit are our most important principles, which we will never compromise,” it said.
Özer commented on his departure via social networks. The decision was neither directed against fellow players nor did he find it disrespectful. At the same time, he criticized the sporting leadership: “When I saw the line-up, I realized how pointless our conversations over the last few days had been,” said the goalkeeper.
He further explained that he traveled to the national team in pain. He had already said in advance that it would be better for him to take it easy and get treatment if he wasn’t in the squad. “I want all persons to be treated equally and fairly, and I leave it to public opinion to judge the current process and the tone of the statement in this regard,” Özer said.
Muhammed Shengezer was nominated for the Turks’ upcoming World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Tuesday.