Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Merih Demiral [1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 5 March 1998||
Place of birth | Karamürsel, Turkey | ||
Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) [3] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Ahli | ||
Number | 28 | ||
Youth career | |||
2009–2011 | Karamürsel Idmanyurduspor | ||
2011–2016 | Fenerbahçe | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2017 | Alcanenense | 12 | (0) |
2017 | → Sporting CP B (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2017–2019 | Sporting CP B | 26 | (0) |
2018–2019 | → Alanyaspor (loan) | 16 | (1) |
2019 | → Sassuolo (loan) | 14 | (2) |
2019–2022 | Juventus | 21 | (1) |
2021–2022 | → Atalanta (loan) | 28 | (1) |
2022–2023 | Atalanta | 28 | (1) |
2023– | Al-Ahli | 20 | (1) |
International career‡ | |||
2014–2015 | Turkey U17 | 7 | (1) |
2015 | Turkey U18 | 2 | (0) |
2015–2016 | Turkey U19 | 10 | (1) |
2018 | Turkey U20 | 9 | (0) |
2016–2018 | Turkey U21 | 13 | (0) |
2018– | Turkey | 42 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:13, 27 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:44, 26 March 2024 (UTC) |
Merih Demiral (born 5 March 1998) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and the Turkey national team.
A product of the Fenerbahçe youth system, Demiral was signed by Portuguese side Alcanenense in 2016. [4]
In January 2017, he was loaned out to Sporting B, and made his professional debut in the Segunda Liga for the latter club on 5 February 2017 in a 1–1 home draw against Famalicão. [5] At the end of the season, he was signed outright by the club. [6]
On 15 August 2018, he joined Turkish club Alanyaspor on loan. [7] On 29 January 2019, he permanently joined Alanyaspor for €3.5 million. [8]
On 30 January 2019, Demiral joined Italian club Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy. [9] He made his Serie A and club debut on 24 February, in a 1–1 home draw against SPAL, [10] and scored his first goals, both for the club and in Serie A—a brace in a 4–0 home win over Chievo—on 4 April. [11]
On 5 July 2019, Juventus officially announced the transfer of Demiral from Sassuolo, on a five-year contract for €18 million. [12] His salary was reportedly unfolded as €1.3 million per year. [13] He became the first Turkish player to play for the club. [14] He made his club debut on 21 September, in a 2–1 home win over Verona in Serie A. [15] He subsequently made his Champions League debut on 11 December, in the club's final group match, earning praise in the media for his performance as he helped Juventus keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 away win over Bayer Leverkusen. [16] [17]
He scored his first goal for the club on 12 January 2020, the opener in a 2–1 away win over Roma, which saw Juventus secure the unofficial title of "Winter Champions", though he was later substituted for Matthijs de Ligt after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury. As a result, he was expected to be ruled out for the remainder of the season, including Euro 2020. [18] [19] [20] He returned to action on 1 August, featuring as a substitute in Juventus' 3–1 home defeat to Roma in Serie A, with Juventus already confirmed as league champions. [21]
On 6 August 2021, Atalanta announced the signing of Demiral from Juventus on loan with an option to buy. [22] During the 2021–22 season, he accumulated a total of 42 appearances in all competitions, scored two goals, and provided three assists. Atalanta exercised the right to buy on 17 June 2022 for a fee of €20 million. [23] [24]
On 19 August 2023, Demiral joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli on a three-year contract. [25]
Demiral represented Turkey at junior levels, including Under-17 and Under-19. He made his debut for the senior squad on 20 November 2018 in a friendly against Ukraine, as an 85th-minute substitute for Mert Müldür. [26] On 11 June 2021, Demiral scored an own goal in a 3–0 defeat against Italy in the first game of the UEFA Euro 2020 campaign; it was the first time in the tournament's history that the match opener kicked off with an own goal. [27]
Demiral is usually deployed as a centre-back, in either a three or four-man defence, although he is a versatile player, who is also capable of playing as a right-sided full-back. [28]
An aggressive and instinctive defender, his main traits are his physicality, tactical intelligence, tackling, composure, and determination, which allow to excel at reading plays, and also enable him to anticipate or mark his opponents well. [28] A tall and physically strong defender, he is also known for his ability in the air, which enables him to defend opposing crosses and clear the ball away from his own penalty area. [28] [29] Despite his tall stature and imposing physique, he is also a mobile defender, which allows him to make recoveries, win back the ball effectively, or restrict his opponents' movements when defending off the ball. [28] [29]
Regarded as a promising young defender in the media, due to his characteristics, he has been compared to Nemanja Vidić, whom Demiral himself has also cited as an inspiration. [30] Another one of his influences is his Juventus teammate Giorgio Chiellini, to whom he has also been compared. [28] He has also been likened to former Juventus defender Paolo Montero. [31]
On 11 October 2019, following Cenk Tosun's goal in a 1–0 home win over Albania in a Euro 2020 qualifier, Demiral was one of the Turkish players who participated in a controversial "military salute" goal celebration. [32] [33] [34] The same day, he stated his open support for the Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria on Twitter; while his post was praised by Turkish supporters of the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it also drew criticism from numerous football fans of Juventus on social media, as well as those of other clubs, some of whom asked for the club to take disciplinary actions against the player; others even demanded that Demiral be dismissed by the club. [35] [36] [37] [38]
On 20 April 2022, Demiral and his Albanian wife Heidi Lushtaku became the parents of a son and made this public a month after the birth. [39]
Club | Season | League | National cup [lower-alpha 1] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Alcanenense | 2016–17 | Campeonato de Portugal | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||
Sporting CP B (loan) | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
Sporting CP B | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||
Total | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
Sporting CP | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Alanyaspor (loan) | 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
Sassuolo (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
Juventus | 2019–20 | Serie A | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 8 | 1 |
2020–21 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
Total | 21 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
Atalanta (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie A | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 [lower-alpha 4] | 1 | — | 42 | 2 | |
Atalanta | 2022–23 | Serie A | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||
Total | 56 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 3 | ||
Al-Ahli | 2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | ||
Career total | 165 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 197 | 8 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Turkey | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
2019 | 11 | 0 | |
2020 | 7 | 0 | |
2021 | 12 [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | |
2022 | 4 | 1 | |
2023 | 6 | 0 | |
2024 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 42 | 2 |
Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 November 2021 | Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | Gibraltar | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 4 June 2022 | Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | Faroe Islands | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |
Juventus
Turkey U20
Andrea Barzagli is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. A four-time member of the Serie A Team of the Year, Barzagli is regarded as one of the best and most consistent defenders in Italian football history.
Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back or left-back. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini was known for his strength, aggressiveness and man-marking, as well as his ability to play in either a three or four-man defense. He also played as a left-back earlier in his career.
Leonardo Bonucci is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Bonucci is known for his technique, ball-playing skills, tackling and his ability to play in either a three or four-man defence.
Giacomo "Jack" Bonaventura is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italy national football team.
Luca Marrone is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Serie B club Cremonese on loan from Lecco.
Simone Zaza is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker, most recently for Serie A club Torino.
Duván Esteban Zapata Banguero is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Torino, on loan from Atalanta, and the Colombia national team.
Mattia Perin is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus.
Mattia De Sciglio is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and captains the Turkey national team. He is well renowned as a free kick specialist, known for being effective from a multitude of angles and distances.
Domenico Berardi is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward or right winger for Serie A club Sassuolo and the Italy national team.
Leonardo Spinazzola is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left-sided midfielder or left wing-back for Serie A club Roma and the Italy national team.
The 2015–16 season was Juventus Football Club's 118th in existence and ninth consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football in Serie A was their from promotion to Serie B in 2007. Juventus added a third star to their jersey with new kit manufacturers Adidas in addition to the Coppa Italia badge for winning their tenth Coppa Italia the previous season. On 8 August 2015, Juventus defeated Coppa Italia runners-up Lazio to win the Supercoppa Italiana for a record 7th time. On 25 April 2016, the club won their fifth straight title since last winning five straight between 1930–31 and 1934–35, after second place Napoli lost to Roma to give Juventus the title with three games to spare. After winning only three of their first ten league matches and losing to Sassuolo on 28 October 2015, which left them in 12th place, the team went on a run of 25 matches in which they took 73 points of a possible 75, and secured the title. On 21 May, the club then won the Coppa Italia for the 11th time, and their second straight title, becoming the first team in Italy's history to complete Serie A and Coppa Italia doubles in back-to-back seasons. They also became the first Italian team to complete the domestic treble.
Manuel Locatelli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team.
The 2018–19 season was Juventus Football Club's 121st in existence and 12th consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football.
The 2019–20 season was Juventus Football Club's 122nd in existence and 13th consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Juventus competed in the Coppa Italia, losing to Napoli in the final, Supercoppa Italiana, and the Champions League.
Nicolò Rovella is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Serie A club Lazio, on loan from Juventus.
The 2020–21 season was the 123rd season in the existence of Juventus and the club's 14th consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Juventus participated in this season's editions of the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, and the UEFA Champions League. The season covered the period from 1 September 2020 to 30 June 2021. On 25 November 2021, an eight-episode docu-series called All or Nothing: Juventus, which followed the club throughout the season, by spending time with the players behind the scenes both on and off the field, was released on Amazon Prime.
The 2021–22 season was Juventus Football Club's 124th season in existence and the club's 15th consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Juventus participated in this season's edition of the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, and the UEFA Champions League.
Federico Gatti is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team.
The Turkish defender joins Juventus from Sassuolo: he will be a Bianconeri until 30 June 2024.