Demirbay’s Germany regret: “I would never play for them again” after 2017 call-up

Kerem Demirbay won just two caps for Germany, but the regret still lingers. The Kasımpaşa midfielder told Yagiz Sabuncuoglu that he had always wanted to represent Turkey: “We spoke with the federation for a year and a half, but because of circumstances I cannot discuss, I had to choose Germany.” Called up by Joachim Löw in the summer of 2017, Demirbay scored against Cameroon at the Confederations Cup. However, the midfielder, born in 1993, claims his international career changed dramatically during that period: “They noticed my tattoo of Turkey’s borders on my shoulder. That was when everything changed, including in the media: how could a Germany international display a map of another country? From that moment on, I was never called up again.”

Demirbay opens up

Having been among the notable omissions from Germany’s 2018 World Cup squad, the midfielder expressed his bitterness: “I was considered an outsider. I would never play for Germany again. My biggest regret will always be never having worn the Turkish national team shirt.” Now 33, Demirbay remains a regular starter for Kasımpaşa in the Süper Lig following spells with Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray.