Fenerbahçe's Alexander Djiku: "I've reached an age where I'm maturing"

This 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. The destination: Turkey and Fenerbahçe. It was a carefully considered choice for the 29-year-old, with several other European clubs also on his trail, in England, Spain and Germany. In an interview with Foot Mercato, the man who is reaching 200 Ligue 1 appearances opens up. "My adviser and I made this choice for several reasons. First of all, we were won over by the sporting project presented to us. They explained that they wanted to build an ultra-competitive team by signing top recruits like Edin Dzeko, Dusan Tadic, Fred and Dominik Livakovic, to name just them. On top of that, the club were playing in Europe (leaders of their group in the Europa Conference League), which was crucial in my decision. I'd already played in it with Strasbourg and I wanted to experience that again in the short term", he says first.

Alexander Djiku then continues. "It's a club that also brings a lot of exposure. We've seen that many players who passed through Fenerbahçe ended 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 stepping stone in terms of building a career, to keep progressing and not stay in a comfort zone. I've also reached an age where I'm maturing. For me, it was the right time to move abroad, after 200 Ligue 1 games. Not to mention the passion at this club, which is a real plus. The fans are true enthusiasts who make you want to give everything for the shirt. So, for all these reasons, it was logical and natural that we chose to join Fenerbahçe."

Turkey, a competitive league

The Fenerbahçe choice therefore looks like the right one. The club are top of the league with 31 points after 12 matchdays. That could allow Alexander Djiku to play in the Champions League next season. The former Caen man also believes the Süper Lig is not seen at its true value. "I can tell you it's an underrated league. It's a very athletic league. I notice there's also a lot of quality, given the players who have come from the big four leagues over several decades now. So it's a very good league that should do better on the European stage, like the Portuguese or Dutch leagues."

Read also: Villarreal reportedly asked Alexander Djiku not to play at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

Alexander Djiku adds: "I also find there are more experienced players here than in France. In Ligue 1, there are many more young players, who are given exposure as part of a development and trading model, unlike here. Then, in terms of style, it's much more open. There's no feeling-out period. There's a constant desire to score goals and also a lot of individual talent. Whether it's the small or the big teams, they rely heavily on individuals. There are fewer varied collective game plans. The level of the league is also reflected in the national team, who have almost qualified for Euro 2024, ahead of Croatia and Wales."