“He and Juventus are not of my own class” Arda Guler shocked everyone with his declaration addressed directly to Kenan Yildiz when Juventus and Real Madrid will face the 2025 Champions League. Immediately, the superstar of the Turin team replied with only 9 cold words!
In the world of football, the rivalries have always been the fuel that lights the most unforgettable nights on the field. In view of the highly anticipated 2025 Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Juventus, a shocking war of words broke out between two of the brightest young Turkish stars, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz. What should have been a battle confined to the field is now over in the newspapers after Guler, the bright Real Madrid playmaker, has released a statement that has already shaken European football. “He and Juventus are nothing compared to me,” Guler would have declared in an interview that has become viral in a few minutes. A declaration imbued with arrogance, security and perhaps a pinch of lack of respect, aimed directly at his compatriot Kenan Yildiz and the Old Lady of Turin.
For Real Madrid fans, this fierce affirmation is only yet another demonstration of the swagger who has made Guler such a polarizing figure since his arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu. At just 20 years old, the Turkish star has already been acclaimed as a generational talent. His ball control, his vision of play and his ability to score from the distance attracted comparisons with some of the greatest artists in the Madrid midfield. But with such advertising, an exaggerated sense of superiority is often accompanied, and his words to Juventus and Yildiz are interpreted as a courageous declaration of how to see not only as the present face, but also as the future of European football.
Kenan Yildiz, however, would never let such a response arrow pass. The Juventus striker, who is constantly affirming himself as one of the most promising young attackers in Serie A, did not beat an eye when the journalists asked him for explanations on the sharp joke of Guler. With a freezing attitude, Yildiz gave a short and devastating response: “We will see under the lights of the field”. Only nine words, but nine words that have torn the noise with surgical precision. They were not full of arrogance or swagger, but of a cold security that suggested that Yildiz preferred to let her performances speak stronger than interviews could do.
The timing of this war of words could not be more explosive. Juventus and Real Madrid are two of the most legendary clubs in the history of European football. Both have crossed transitions in recent years, both are eager to restore the domain on the continental scene and both bring the hopes of millions of fans in this clash. But now, for the Turkish football community, the spotlights are focused more than ever on this meeting because it puts one against the other two of their emerging heroes. In many ways, Guler against Yildiz is becoming a narration in its own right within the broader story of Madrid against Juventus.
Experts have already expressed their opinion on the matter. Some believe that Guler’s statements are nothing more than a psychological war, a tactic to destabilize both Yildiz and Juventus before the start whistle. The former legend of Madrid, Guti, commented on the Spanish radio: “Arda has always had this confidence in itself. It is dangerous, but sometimes the great players must demonstrate this arrogance”. In the meantime, the Italian press has defended Yildiz, praising its maturity in responding in moderation rather than letting itself be dragged into a discussion with the sound of screams. An editorialist of La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote: “Yildiz’s response showed composure. He did not need fireworks in front of the microphones; his fireworks will be seen when the ball is among his feet”.
As the clash approaches, the tension between the two stars is becoming one of the most discussed subtrames of the competition. Social media are on fire with the fans who lift. The Turkish fans, in particular, are divided in half: some celebrate Guler’s swallowing like the distinctive sign of a future winner of the Golden Ball, while others criticize his words as reckless and unspecified towards a compatriot that also proudly brought the Turkish flag into European football.
On the field, the challenge promises to be compelling. Guler, orchestrale the game from midfield, will try to annihilate Juventus with his creativity and his shots from distance. Yildiz, deployed on the bands, will try to exploit the defensive vulnerabilities of Real Madrid and to demonstrate that he is ready to impose himself on the most important stage. Both are equipped with immense talent and both know that a decisive performance in a challenge of the Champions League direct elimination could raise their careers to new levels.
What cannot be denying is that this heated exchange of jokes added a further layer of drama to an already monumental race. Football thrives on these rivalries, on the clashes between ego and pride that push players to give unforgettable moments. It remains to be seen if Guler’s words will inspire him to dominate the challenge or if Yildiz’s cold response will announce a record performance. What is certain, however, is that when Real Madrid and Juventus take the field, the eyes of the world of football will not only be on two of the strongest clubs in Europe, but also on two young Turks who carry on the shoulders the weight of expectations and national pride.
For now, the title is the shocking declaration of Arda Guler and the ruthless response of nine words by Kenan Yildiz. But soon, football will speak, and only one of the two will leave with the right to boast when the lights of the Champions League will shine brighter.
