Turkey’s FIFA 2002 World Cup star striker Hakan Sukur has confessed he now drives Uber to make ends meet after he was exiled from Turkey.
Sukur, 48, a former Inter Milan and Galatasaray player, who led Turkey to third place at the 2002 World Cup, also revealed he also sells book to survive.
His life took a dramatic turn after retirement, as he entered politics and was elected to Parliament, but in 2011 had a bitter falling out with President of Turkey Recep Erdogan.
Sukur, along with many others, was accused of participating in a failed coup, prompting him to go into exile.
Speaking to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Sukur said: “I have nothing left, Erdogan took everything: my right to liberty, freedom of expression and right to work.
“Nobody seems able to explain what my role in this coup was supposed to be. I never did anything illegal, I am not a traitor or a terrorist.
“I might be an enemy this Government, but not the state or the Turkish nation. I love my country. After the split with Erdogan, I started to receive threats. My wife’s shop was attacked, my children were harassed, my father put in prison and all my assets confiscated.
“So I moved to the United States, initially running a café in California, but strange people kept coming into the bar. Now I drive for Uber and I sell books.”
Sukur played a key role as Galatasaray beat Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) in 2000, becoming the first Turkish club to achieve the feat.
On 29 June he scored the fastest ever goal in a FIFA World Cup, netting against South Korea 10.8 seconds into the third-place play-off (3–2 win).
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