Kerem Demirbay said he regrets his choice to play for the German national team and would have turned down another call-up, even if it came from Jurgen Klopp. The former German international, who now plays for Turkish side Kasimpasa, said he always wanted to represent Turkey.
„I have Turkish blood. My father is Turkish, my mother is Turkish. I am Turkish. I wanted to play for Turkey and we worked on this issue with the federation for a year and a half. "But due to certain circumstances that I cannot talk about, I chose Germany," Demirbay said in an interview with Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu.
The midfielder was born in Germany, but has Turkish roots and spent his entire club career in German football before moving to Turkey. He has played twice for the Bundesliga, both in 2017, when Joachim Löw was the coach.
Demirbay made his debut in a friendly match against Denmark, and then was included in the German squad for the Confederations Cup. The team won the tournament, with the midfielder making just one appearance. He started as a starter in the 3-1 win over Cameroon and scored the first goal in the match.
It was what happened after the goal that Demirbay believes has affected his relationship with the German national team. He took off his shirt in celebration, and a tattoo with the outline of Turkey was visible on his back.
“After I scored for Germany, I took off my shirt and they saw the Turkish tattoo on my back. After that, they never picked me again“, the footballer said.
Demirbay claims that after the tattoo appeared, the attitude towards him changed and that he was perceived as a foreigner. After the 2017 tournament, he no longer received a call-up for the Bundesteam. This is a fact, but the reason for the decision of the German national team has not been officially confirmed.
“I regret that I ever played for Germany and I will never do it again, even if they call me now. I am Turkish. "I will always regret never wearing the glorious jersey of the Turkish national team," Demirbay said.
He continues his career in Turkey, where he plays for Kasimpasa. Previously, the midfielder played for Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray.