A natural instinct for the ball: #WelcomeHakan

Mannheim, Bayburt. These are the cities that tell the story of Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s roots, his early beginnings in football, his development and journey.

Born in Mannheim, Germany, after his family had moved there from Bayburt, Hakan’s love for football began in his youth. A family passion, he was following a natural instinct.

Germany was where his career began to take shape: after spending eight seasons in SV Waldhof Mannheim’s youth setup, he moved to Karlsruher in 2009, at the age of 15. This was a crucial step on his journey of growth, one which allowed him to enter the professional game and showcase his talents.

In 2012, he signed a contract with Hamburg, who loaned him out to Karlsruher for another season. That 2012/13 campaign was a very successful one, too, with Çalhanoğlu finishing on 17 goals in 36 matches and making a vital contribution to the team’s title triumph.

His Hamburg debut, which was also his first Bundesliga appearance, came in August 2013, at the start of the following season. Hakan finished the campaign with eleven goals in 32 matches, with his performances catching the attention of many clubs, first and foremost Bayer Leverkusen.

It is precisely here that Çalhanoğlu made a definitive leap in quality, demonstrating all his skills and playing three seasons that saw him net 28 goals in 115 matches. Game after game, Hakan refined his technique and long-range shooting capabilities, becoming lethal between the lines, where he often beat his opponent and took aim for goal. In doing so, he managed to score significant goals, such as the one against Bayern Munich – the first free kick conceded by Neuer. In 2017, Çalhanoğlu made the move to Serie A, where he has since gone on to bag 32 goals in 172 appearances.

Despite developing in Germany, Hakan never forgot his roots, as underlined by his decision to play for the Turkish National Team. He made his Turkey debut on 6 September 2013 in a 5-0 win over Andorra, the first of 59 appearances to date. In total, he’s scored 13 goals for his country.

Çalhanoğlu is now ready to write a new chapter in Nerazzurri history and follow in the footsteps of compatriots Sukur, Emre and Okan, displaying all of his quality for the Champions of Italy in the process.

#WelcomeHakan!