Turkey squad for UEFA EURO 2024: Who’s in and who’s out, key players, and predicted lineup

As one of the underdogs in Euro 2024, Turkiye would potentially display a shocking performance in Germany. The Turks are looking for redemption after a disastrous performance during the previous edition of Euro when losing three games in the group stage. 

People may remember Turkiye’s impressive run during the 2002 World Cup and 2008 Euro, reaching the semi-finals in both tournaments. The sense of optimism emerged as Montella called some well-known names for this edition of Euro.

However, Montella faced a tough situation in selecting players as some important players had to stay out of the squad this time. Being included in Group F alongside Georgia, Czech, and the 2016 champions Portugal, the chance of escaping the group stage is opened. 

Goalkeepers

Altar Bayindir, who spent most of his time on the bench throughout the 2023/24 season with Manchester United, was called to join the national team. Apart from him, Besiktas’ Mert Gunok and Trabzonspor’s Ugurcan Cakir are also in contention to be first-pick goalies. 

From those three names, Cakir is the one who has the most chance to be in the first team due to his form at the club level. He played 42 games for Trabzonspor last season, taking the club to finish third at the end of the competition.

Behind Cakir, there is Gunok that would be the closest competitor for him for the first place. Playing 45 games in one season for a 35-year old player is some impressive stats not to be overlooked. 

Defenders

Montella put the Turkish fans on pins and needles as he ruled out some important defenders. The likes of Caglar Soyuncu and Ozan Kabak are surprisingly not featuring with the national team due to injuries. However, former Juventus defender Merih Demiral would lead his juniors in the defensive area. 

The absence of Soyuncu and Kabak was a huge blow but it is curable. Turkiye still have Ajax’s Ahmetcan Kaplan  as someone to rely on at the back.  Zeki Celik and Mert Muldur would also make sense to step in, guarding the defensive line for the national team.

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Midfielders

It is clear that Turkiye would heavily rely on someone like Hakan Calhanoglu in the midfield. As things stand, the Inter Milan player is the most experienced name in the position. He would be handed responsibility to mobilise the transition from attacking and defending.

Calhanoglu is not alone, he has Benfica’s Orkun Kokcu and Borussia Dortmund’s Salih Ozcan to form an ideal midfield force in Euro 2024. Not to mention the likes of Ismail Yuksek and Okay Yokuslu to complete the Turkish midfield component. 

Forwards

Kenan Yildiz would also be a dark horse in forward contention, paired with Galatasaray’s Kerem Akturkoglu. Cenk Tosun is also in-position everytime the coach needs him to come on the pitch. 

Apart from those seniors, one name that could be a turf for Montella’s squad is Arda Guler. The youngster started to show his worth with Real Madrid during the second half of the 2023/24 season. 

Predicted Lineup for Turkey in UEFA EURO 2024

Montella will likely play the 4-2-3-1 system with Cakir securing position under the post. In front of Cakir, stand Celik, Demiral, Kaplan, and Ozkacar to guard the defensive post from the opponents manoeuvre. 

Ozcan and Kokcu are ideal to play in the anchor, being responsible for making sure the ball flows from defending and attacking. Calhanoglu the captain would be in the second line alongside Yildiz and Guler to provide the ball for Tosun at the front. 

Turkiye possible XI (4-2-3-1): Ugurcan Cakir, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Zeki Celik, Mert Muldur, Merih Demiral, Hakan Calhanoglu, Salih Ozcan, Orkun Kokcu, Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler, Cenk Tosun.

Players Missing for Turkey in UEFA EURO 2024

If it were not due to injury, Caglar Soyuncu, Enes Unal, and Ozan Kabak would be in the squad for this edition of Euro. It must be hard for Montella to not pick those players in a tournament of such magnitude as the Euro. 

Apart from injuries, some players were not selected due to Montella’s prerogative rights. Dogan Alemdar, Cenk Ozkacar, Berat Ozdemir, Can Uzun, and Abdulkadir Omur were on the provisional list initially but then dropped out of it.

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