Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has labelled Turkish midfielder Arda Güler 'incredible', just days after the 21-year-old came off the bench to steady the ship in Madrid's 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
Güler is far from guaranteed a starting spot at the Bernabéu. He's competing for minutes in central midfield with record signing Yan Diomande and Brahim Diaz, while Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham occupy the slots Mourinho rarely rotates. Still, the coach was glowing in his assessment ahead of Tuesday's trip to face Elche. 'His vision, his decision-making, his playmaking, the stability he brings to the team, his creativity' — Mourinho listed the qualities he values most, adding that Güler already posts 'very impressive stats' despite his age. He stopped short of full superlatives, joking that he could only say 'top, top' rather than three times over.
The Turkish playmaker joined Madrid from Fenerbahçe in 2023 and has developed a particularly effective on-pitch understanding with Mbappe, including a link-up for Madrid's fourth goal against Rayo. For Turkish football fans, watching a homegrown talent earn this kind of endorsement from Mourinho at the world's biggest club is a storyline worth following through the season.
Not everything is rosy at Madrid. Vinicius Junior has managed just one goal this season, and Mourinho repeated his view that the Brazilian winger isn't yet at his peak. 'The best version of him is scoring goals,' the coach said, recalling the version of Vinicius that turned up in Lisbon in last season's Champions League knockouts — one chance, one goal. He insisted he remains happy with the winger, but the message is clear: more is expected.
The result leaves Madrid second in La Liga, three points behind a Barcelona side that has won every match so far. With a title race already taking shape, Güler's fight for gametime is one of the more interesting subplots — and if his coach's praise is anything to go by, more minutes may not be far away.
While this is a sports story rather than a travel brief, it's a useful hook for any football-loving traveller planning a trip to Madrid or Istanbul: catch Güler at the Bernabéu on a matchday, or trace his roots at Fenerbahçe's Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Kadıköy, one of Istanbul's most atmospheric football neighbourhoods.