Arda Güler has opened up about his journey in a heartfelt piece for The Players' Tribune titled “Letter to the Children of My Country.” In it, the Turkish star shares personal stories from his childhood to his arrival at Real Madrid, including a humorous moment that made waves in the locker room.

During his first days at Valdebebas, everything was new for the young midfielder. One day, manager Carlo Ancelotti introduced him to Castilla coach and club legend Raúl González. But Güler, still adjusting to life at one of the world’s biggest clubs, didn’t believe it was really Raúl standing in front of him.

“From the beginning, Ancelotti joked with me all the time, and I never knew when he was serious,” Güler explained. When Ancelotti said, “This is Raúl,” the young player thought it was just another prank. “Come on, boss. I'm sorry, but this isn’t Raúl,” Güler replied.

Despite Raúl himself calmly stating, “I’m Raúl González. Nice to meet you,” Arda still wasn’t convinced. It took Toni Kroos and Luka Modric jumping in—and even showing photos—to finally persuade him. “Okay, sorry. You really are Raúl. Nice to meet you, sir,” Güler admitted.

The entire squad burst into laughter, including Ancelotti. “Everyone laughed at the kid from Turkey,” Güler recalled. “When I told my family, they looked at me and said, ‘Arda… you’re stupid.’ That’s how my first week at Real Madrid went.”

********************************************************

You can now download the Madridista News App for free on the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can follow us on Facebook here.

You can follow us on X (Twitter) here.                                                                    

You can follow us on Instagram here.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

You can follow us on Telegram here.

You can follow us on TikTok here.

You can join our WhatsApp channel here.