While Juventus fans have been excited about Kenan Yildiz since he joined the club last year, the whole nation of Turkiye is now signing the youngster’s praise.
During this international break, the 18-year-old made his full debut for the senior national team in the friendly against Germany. He marked the occasion by scoring a screamer as the Turks went on to beat their hosts by three goals to two.
But while Turkiye manager Vincenzo Montella tried to keep the hype under control, others are already proclaiming the youngster as the next big thing in football.
For instance, Turkiye U19 coach Soykan Baskar believes that Yildiz is technically superior to Portugal legend and former Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Two years ago many big clubs were interested in him,” reveals Baskar in his interview with A Spor via Calciomercato.
“Yildiz is more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo. His technique with the ball is superior to that of Portuguese.”
Yildiz signed for Juventus as a free agent in the summer of 2022 after spending 10 years at Bayern Munich.
Last season, he was firing on all cylinders with the Primavera squad, earning back-to-back promotions to Juventus Next and subsequently the first team.
Juve FC say
Even Ronaldo’s detractors would agree that comparing the 18-year-old to some of the biggest legends in football, let alone a five-time Ballon d’Or winner is premature at the moment.
Juventus will have to do their utmost best to protect the teenager from the astronomically high expectations placed on his shoulders, as we’ve seen a plethora of promising careers squashed under the great weight of overhype.
