«Autumn began with doubt and ended with a double triumph»
Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara recalls the past season as though leafing through the pages of a dynamic novel: «From the very first day we believed in a double. Now, holding both the league trophy and the Turkish Cup in our hands, you realise that all the sleepless nights, every extra sprint in training, and the quiet prayers in the dressing room were not in vain. This feeling is even more powerful than you could imagine».
According to the statistics, Sara finished the campaign with 2 goals and 9 assists, yet, as he himself stresses, the numbers reveal only the tip of the iceberg: «Contributing to the score sheet is, of course, pleasant, but the rhythm you give the team for 90 minutes is more important. We showed that we can dictate the tempo even in the most nerve-racking stages of the season».
«I didn’t want to leave while my wife was waiting to give birth»
Describing his August move from England to Istanbul, the 25-year-old midfielder speaks frankly: «The offer seemed like madness. My wife was in the final weeks of pregnancy, and mentally I had prepared to stay at Norwich for one more season. But football defines my identity. After a dozen family phone calls we decided to take the risk — and I have never regretted it. Now my little daughter wears yellow-red rompers».
This story, in which domestic concerns intersect with professional challenges, reflects the interview’s central motif: inside every athlete there is not only the struggle on the pitch but also a constant balancing act between home and stadium.
«Pressure? What pressure? I didn’t understand the language»
Asked about the pressure from the stands, Sara laughs: «At the start I didn’t speak Turkish, so I couldn’t understand the rival fans’ shouts or the newspaper headlines. When you don’t understand, you can’t take offence. We stayed focused on our work, and the result — two cups in the museum».
He immediately adds that he is now learning the language and can already pick out his own name in the crowd: «Feeling the supporters’ love is a different kind of adrenaline. When I hear “Sara, Sara!” an extra engine starts inside me; both motivation and responsibility have grown».
The difference between England and Türkiye: «Here 60,000 people expect a win, there you have more margin for error»
Having left the disciplined, tactical atmosphere of the Championship for the carnival of Turkish stadiums, Sara explains: «In England, a draw is treated like a work-day result — you can make up for it next week. In Istanbul you have to win today, now, immediately, or the environment turns into a storm. Turkish supporters live with emotion, and you get swept up in it».
He adds that in Türkiye, matches are often decided by “individual explosions”, whereas in England the plan is more dominant: «At Norwich we would analyse video for hours; here there is analysis too, but on match day emotions can overshadow cold calculation — you have to adapt».
Two roles in one season: No. 8 and No. 10
In the autumn Sara played as an advanced “eight”, while in the spring head coach Okan Buruk shifted him into the classic “ten”. The midfielder views such flexibility philosophically: «My first priority is to be in the starting XI. As an eight I get more touches, conduct the orchestra; as a ten I have a direct path to the penalty area. If I need to swap roles during a match, I do it without question».
He sums up Okan’s system like this: «The coach wants me to time my runs into space, occupy the centre-backs and open corridors for Osimhen or Bardakcı. It’s chess: one piece sacrifices a move, and in two moves it’s checkmate».
The art of crossing: «Not magic, but thousands of repetitions»
Six of his nine assists ended in headers by team-mates. «Since childhood I’ve loved the long ball. My father, a former centre-back, put me on the wing and made me cross for hours. Now we have rocket-like jumpers — Abdülkerim, Davinson, Mario. I just send the projectile to the right spot».
He is modest when the praise comes: «Maybe I get too much credit. If my partner didn’t jump, the pass would remain just a pretty number on the scoreboard».
Family lessons: «My dad is my first coach, my brother my first opponent»
The ball never cooled down in their house: «My dad (Jorge Luiz Sara) ended his career in a regional league, but he kept the passion alive. From the age of three my brother and I chased a plastic ball around São Paulo courtyards. For us football isn’t a profession, it’s oxygen».
Since then the core belief hasn’t changed: «Whatever happens, I wake up thinking about training. Even when the season ends I can’t sit idle for more than two days».
«I’m far from perfect, and that motivates me»
Sara is not eager to declare the past year “the best of his life”: «I know I can improve. Right now I’m at 70 % of my ceiling. I do extra work: shooting with my left, accelerating over the first five metres… I’m sure next season I’ll be more productive».
His minimum personal target: «I want to double my goal involvement. A modern midfielder mustn’t only start attacks but finish them too».
The “Amarela” dream: «Is the Seleção unreachable? Then I must get better»
The main goal is clear: «My biggest dream is to climb vertebra by vertebra into the Brazil national team. It’s not just an honour; it’s the pyramid’s summit. Competition is insane, I know, but without a dream the athlete withers».
He draws a straightforward path: consistent high-level performances in continental tournaments. «When we shine in Europe, not only Türkiye but the whole world will see my name more often. Then the national team door may open».
Pain, risk, and an early comeback: «I played through tears, but the team needed me»
In January Sara tore fibres in his hamstring; doctors prescribed a six-week break, yet he was back on the pitch in week four: «To be honest, in the first 200 metres I realised I wasn’t ready. But the team was fighting for every point. I swallowed a painkiller and went out. Sometimes I woke up at night from the throbbing in my muscle, but as long as we were winning the pain paid off».
He doesn’t hide that he would take the same risk again: «The belief of my team-mates and the fans gave me strength. Responding was the only option».
A derby in the memory: «Kadıköy roared so loud the grass vibrated»
Galatasaray visited their eternal rivals twice and came away victorious both times: «The first game 3-1, the second 2-0. On nights like these you forget statistics; the only thought is not to let down the away sector that sang all night. The noise was so dense it felt like the stadium was breathing».
He stresses that these matches were the engine of the whole spring run: «After winning the derby we grew psychological wings. Then it was just a matter of holding course to the finish line».
Yenikapı, a head-first slide on stage, and the catharsis of celebration
The giant victory night at Yenikapı brings a smile: «The organisers called us on stage, I saw the shiny runway and, like a kid, slid on my knees and chest. It was an explosion of pure joy. Supporters’ songs and fireworks merged into one endorphin blast. We worked eleven months for twenty seconds of sheer bliss».
Türkiye × Brazil: «Same blood, same passion»
Sara explains the warmth shown to Brazilians in Türkiye: «Our cultures are similar: we are loud, open-hearted, crazy about football and family dinners. So adaptation is smooth. For a Brazilian nothing is stronger than feeling support — here I get it daily».
European cup hunger: «We’re closer than ever»
Being knocked out in the play-offs without reaching their continental target is a splinter: «We could have gone further; my disappointment is huge. But analysis showed we grew tactically and became mature. I believe we will soon lift a cup in Europe, and this city will explode louder than ever».
Osimhen — «the biggest enemy» and best friend
The playful section about the Nigerian forward deserves its own heading: «In the dressing room I tease him: “You’re my biggest enemy because you score the most goals.” In reality Victor is an enormous asset. Everyone in the team prays that he stays. His energy can’t be replaced. Every day I see how he drags the opposing defence with him».
A message to the stands: «We promise, this is only the beginning»
At the end of the interview the Brazilian turns to the supporters: «Friends, I hope you enjoyed this season, sang with us in the streets, danced at the celebrations. We are grateful for every banner in the stadium, every flag on the balconies. Believe me, next year we will come back even stronger. You deserve to see us reach a higher level».
And he signs off with a smile: «There is only one way to say “thank you” to the fans — to win even more. The work has already begun. See you in the stands!»
