Galatasaray’s Danish defender Victor Nelsson will be on the field for the 100th time in the yellow-red jersey if he plays in the UEFA Champions League away match against Copenhagen on Tuesday, December 12.
Nelsson, who started playing football in the infrastructure of his country’s Nordsjaelland team, played 98 official matches in the A team, to which he was promoted in 2016. Nelsson, who signed for Copenhagen in 2019 with his performance, played 87 times there.
Nelsson, who was transferred to Galatasaray in August 2021 for a transfer fee of 7 million euros, became one of the important players of the yellow-red team. The defender, who signed a five-year contract, succeeded in playing in 99 official matches in a period of approximately 2.5 years.
Nelsson wore the yellow-red jersey 79 times in the Super League, 9 times in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and group stages, 8 times in the UEFA Europa League and 3 times in the Turkish Cup.
DESPITE THE TEAM’S POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE FIRST SEASON
Victor Nelsson became one of the constant players of the first 11 with his performance in the first season.
Nelsson, who took the jersey as soon as he joined the yellow-red team, played 36 matches in the Super League in the 2021-2022 season and scored one goal. The Danish defender was one of the rare football players who attracted attention in the season when his team had the worst performance in its history and finished 13th.
Nelsson competed 8 times in the UEFA Europa League, which had a good performance unlike the Super League, and played in 1 match in the Turkish Cup.
FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE SECOND SEASON
Nelsson won the championship in his second season with the yellow-red team.
Very few players from the team that finished 13th in the 2021-2022 season remained in the team the next season. Nelsson managed to maintain his place in Galatasaray, where there was a change in the management, technical team and football staff.
Nelsson, who played in tandem with Brazilian defender Marcao in his first season, was kept in the team despite a transfer offer. The Danish football player, who teamed up with Abdülkerim Bardakcı this time, attracted attention with the harmony he showed with his new teammate.
Galatasaray quickly recovered from the trauma of the bad season and reached the championship in the 2022-2023 season. For the Yellow-Reds, who did not compete in European cups that season, Nelsson played in 33 Super League matches and 2 matches in the Turkish Cup. The Danish football player managed to find the net once in the Turkish Cup in the said season.
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE FAVORITE OF THE TRANSFER, HE CLOSED THE JERSEY
Victor Nelsson remained in the team even though his name was mentioned with many teams at the beginning of the season.
Nelsson, who has a release clause of 25 million euros in his contract, received offers from many teams during the summer transfer period. The experienced defender, who remained in the team after Galatasaray found the incoming amount to be low, started the season as a starting 11 player.
Nelsson, who was substituted after the arrival of Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez, could not find the chance to play consistently this season. The yellow-red football player played in 10 matches in the Super League, 5 matches in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and 4 matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Nelsson, who started 79 of the 80 official competitions in the first 2 seasons in the first 11, had a chance in the first 11 in 13 of the 19 competitions this season.
INCREASED ITS MARKET VALUE
The Danish football player increased his estimated market value more than 5 times with his performance in Galatasaray.
According to the data of a German website, Nelsson, who had a market value of 3.5 million euros in June 2021 before being transferred to the yellow-red team, reached a value of 19 million euros after approximately 2.5 seasons.
MEANINGFUL MATCH WITH COPENHAGEN
Victor Nelsson will wear the yellow-red jersey for the 100th time against his former team, Copenhagen, if coach Okan Buruk gives him the task.
Galatasaray will be the guest of Denmark representative Copenhagen on Tuesday, December 12, in the 6th and last week of the UEFA Champions League Group A. The critical match that will determine the fate of the yellow-red team in Europe will have two different meanings for Nelsson.
If Okan Buruk plays him, the Danish defender will have the chance to play in his country against one of his former teams, Copenhagen, and he will wear the yellow-red jersey for the 100th time in an official competition.