Alexander Djiku got off to a roaring start with Fenerbahçe, racking up 19 wins in the process. A regular right from the start (10 starts in 12 games, 1 goal), the Ghanaian defender suffered a physical setback with a fractured foot. That hasn't stopped him from enjoying the Turkish championship and the challenges that await him both locally and in Europe.
The summer of 2023 was a turning point in Alexander Djiku's career. The Ghana international (23 caps, 1 goal), after nine seasons in France (Bastia, Caen, Strasbourg), decided to try his luck abroad. Heading for Turkey and Fenerbahçe. A carefully considered choice for the 29-year-old. This despite the fact that several other European clubs were on his trail, be it in England, Spain or Germany.
In an interview with Foot Mercato, the player who has now played 200 games in Ligue 1 opened up. "With my advisor, we made this choice for several reasons. First of all, we were thrilled by the sporting project that was presented to us. They explained to us that they wanted to build an ultra-competitive team by signing top recruits such as Edin Dzeko, Dusan Tadic, Fred and Dominik Livakovic, to name but a few. What's more, the club was playing in a European Cup (group leader in the Europa League Conference), which was a key factor in my choice. I'd already played in one with Strasbourg and I wanted to experience that again in the short term," he begins.
Alexander Djiku continues.
"It's a club that also brings a lot of visibility. We've seen a lot of players who've come through Fenerbahçe end up at bigger clubs. I can mention Kim Min-jae, who signed for Napoli, Arda Güler, who signed for Real Madrid, and Simon Kjær at Sevilla, for example. So it was the right springboard in a career-building logic to evolve further and not stay in a comfort zone.I've also reached an age where I'm coming of age.For me, it was the right time to move abroad, after 200 matches in Ligue 1. Not to mention the club's fervor, which is a real plus. The fans are really passionate about what they do, and make you want to get your jersey wet.So, for all these reasons, it was logical and natural that we chose to join Fenerbahçe.
Turkey, a competitive league
Fenerbahçe seems to be the right choice. The club leads the league with 31 points after 12 rounds. This could give Alexander Djiku the chance to play in the Champions League next season. However, the former Caen player feels that the Super Lig is not seen for what it is."I can tell you that it's an underrated league. It's a very athletic league. I can also see that there's a lot of quality in the players who have been coming from the four biggest leagues for several decades now. So it's a very good league that needs to perform better on the European stage, like the Portuguese or Dutch championships."
And Alexander Djiku adds."I find that there are more experienced players here than in France. In Ligue 1, there are a lot more young players, who are exposed to the logic of training and trading, unlike here. Then, in terms of the game, it's much less closed. There's no time for observation. There's a constant desire to score goals and also a lot of individuality. Whether it's the big or small teams, they rely a lot on individuality.There are fewer varied collective game plans. The level of the championship is also reflected in the national team, which is virtually qualified for Euro 2024, ahead of Croatia and Wales."
