Former Galatasaray player Felipe Melo believes in winning the championship

Former Galatasaray player Felipe Melo believes in winning the championship

Former Galatasaray Brazilian footballer Felipe Melo said that the yellow-red team is confidently progressing towards the championship in the Trendyol Super Lig.

Melo, who played for Galatasaray for four seasons between 2011 and 2015 and won 3 Super Lig titles, 2 Turkish Cups, and 1 TFF Super Cup, came to Türkiye as a guest of the 1905 Galatasaray Managers and Businessmen Association (1905 GSYİAD). Participating in the association's "GSYİAD Talks" event and meeting with members, the former Brazilian footballer signed copies of his book, "Felipe Melo, A Brazilian's Memories of Turkey in His Second Homeland."

Expressing his happiness at returning to Türkiye, Melo said, "I've returned here after a long time. I'm experiencing very emotional moments."

Felipe Melo, describing his transfer process to the yellow-red team, said, "I was a Juventus player. There was talk of me being loaned to another team. I was going to Paris Saint-Germain. My plane tickets were even booked. It was such a definite transfer. Then I received a call from Taffarel. As a Brazilian, you have to listen to a call from Taffarel. He told me, 'Listen to us too. Talk to the Emperor.' I spoke with Fatih Terim. What he said impressed me greatly and convinced me. After that, my transfer happened. The atmosphere I saw in the friendly match against Inter during the first training camp in Austria was a turning point in my career. I understood at that moment that I belonged to Galatasaray."

Melo also mentioned that Fatih Terim, the coach at the time, emotionally convinced him, saying, "Coach Fatih understood very well how emotional a person I am. At PSG, Tiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were there. Under normal circumstances, I should have gone to PSG. My coach said, 'You'll understand what I mean when you see the fans.'" He said, "I think one of the most valuable things about Galatasaray is our fans. Even in a friendly match abroad, the atmosphere they created helped me decide where I should play."

Felipe Melo stated that Galatasaray holds a special place in his heart, saying, "I've played for many clubs. I've played in front of very passionate fans. But Galatasaray fans are something else. Turkish society is the same. They accepted me and my family from the first day. I've played for many different clubs, but the only tattoo on my body that symbolizes a team is related to Galatasaray. I could have gotten a tattoo of another team, but I wanted to show my commitment to Galatasaray."

"We are confidently heading towards the championship again"
Melo, who said he watched the postponed 27th-week match against Göztepe in the Trendyol Super League yesterday, stated that the yellow-red team is marching towards the championship.

Melo, explaining that the Göztepe match didn't go well in terms of gameplay, said, "Yesterday was a painful match for us. We're in the final stretch now. We're on the road to the championship. That's why getting those 3 points was crucial for us yesterday. The style of play or goals isn't that important. We have a match against Fenerbahçe at home in the coming weeks. We are much stronger with our fans. We need to take it step by step, but we are confidently heading towards the championship again."