Less than three years ago, as a TOP Oss player, he thought about quitting football, but Cihat Celik followed his heart and left for Turkey. How different the world looks now for the 27-year-old Ossenaar. Celik is an important player of former cup winner Kocaelispor, lives in a beautiful apartment near Istanbul and has an excellent contract. On Sunday he will play for the championship and promotion.
As we speak to Celik, Kocaelispor is about to become the third tier champions of Turkey. “We want to promote with Kocaelispor, the current level is outrageous for such a big club. You can compare it with SC Heerenveen that plays in the Second Division,” said Celik.
“What I have noticed in Turkey is that the level does not always mean anything. You have big clubs that are sometimes in a lesser phase and are going downhill. Kocaelispor is a beautiful club with a rich history. When it runs here, there are 20,000 to 25,000 people in the stands. The atmosphere is indescribable, we win almost everything at home. But it is sometimes difficult to perform with our fanatical supporters. When things go wrong, the pressure is enormous.”
If it is up to the midfielder, he will join the club in TFF 1. Lig. “I have a contract until mid-2024 and the club has an option to extend that commitment. With the promotion I get an improved contract. But in Turkey contracts don’t always mean much. If the club or the player doesn’t want to continue, then it’s easier to get out of a contract than in the Netherlands. Many decisions are made on the basis of emotion.”
“I sacrificed a lot to go back to Oss.”
It was not always good for Celik in his career. As a 17-year-old boy, he made his debut in the first team of NEC. He dreamed of big clubs and making it to the Dutch or Turkish national team. However, it did not lead to a breakthrough at NEC. In the 2016/2017 season he was rented out to TOP Oss. There he conquered a base place, to look for adventure a season later.
Via Gaziantep FK in Turkey and the Bosnian NK Celik Zenica, he returned to TOP Oss in 2019 with high expectations. “I sacrificed a lot to go back to Oss. In the first period I was loved by the club, but during my second period I performed less. It was the most difficult period in my life and I even thought about quitting. I trained hard for the new season. However, during the preparation I did not feel the confidence and on the last day of the transfer deadline I left for Istanbulspor.”
He had little time to play in the metropolis and that is why he chose Akhisar Belediyespor that same season, where he had a good period. Kocaelispor brought him to Izmit last year. “The goals I have now are different from when I was a youth international for the Orange. For now I am focusing on the new season, we really want to promote to the highest level.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
Continuing to believe in yourself has brought Celik a long way. “It makes no sense to look back, everything happens for a reason. The sporting disappointments have only made me stronger. I hope to be an example for football players who are in the same situation.”
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