Szoboszlai’s Sharp Response to Güler’s Shush in Nations League Playoff
Hungary’s star midfielder, Dominik Szoboszlai, delivered a cutting online retort to Turkish international Arda Güler, escalating their personal feud which ignited during their recent Nations League play-off second leg match. This online ‘comeback’ follows an on-field incident where Güler appeared to ‘shush’ Szoboszlai after scoring against Hungary.
Turkey achieved a historic milestone by晋级 (gained promotion) to League A of the UEFA Nations League for the first time. They dominated Hungary with a decisive 6-1 aggregate victory across both play-off legs.
Building on their 3-1 advantage from the first leg, Turkey, under manager Vincenzo Montella, comfortably defeated Hungary in Budapest. Key goals were scored by Hakan Çalhanoğlu, rising star Arda Güler, and defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı, securing Turkey’s promotion in style.
Despite the convincing scoreline, a personal clash between Liverpool’s dynamic midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid’s young talent Arda Güler became the main talking point after the game. This player altercation overshadowed Turkey’s impressive victory and Hungary’s Nations League disappointment.
During the match, cameras captured Güler making a clear ‘shushing’ gesture directly towards Szoboszlai after netting Turkey’s second goal. This action added fuel to an existing rivalry between the two players.
The tension between Szoboszlai and Güler reportedly traces back to a heated friendly match in March 2024. In that prior encounter, Szoboszlai scored the winning goal for Hungary, securing a narrow 1-0 victory, possibly setting the stage for Güler’s recent gesture.
Following the Nations League match and Güler’s ‘shush’, Szoboszlai took to social media to respond. He posted a comment on an Instagram post by Hungarian sports news outlet Nemzeti Sport. The post featured a picture of Güler’s ‘shushing’ celebration aimed at Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai’s comment was a succinct yet pointed “1088”. This number is widely understood to represent the total minutes Arda Güler played for Real Madrid throughout the entire season. It was a clear jab at Güler’s limited playtime at the Spanish giants, suggesting a lack of experience or impact despite his on-field bravado.
Szoboszlai’s social media activity immediately ignited reactions from football fans online.
Fans on social media offered a range of humorous and supportive comments regarding Szoboszlai’s reply:
- “Szoboszlai got straight into the dressing room and googled how many minutes Arda Guler has played this season, this is the level of hater I aspire to be.” – This comment highlights the perceived ‘petty’ but entertaining nature of Szoboszlai’s comeback.
- “Assists in the 24/25 season. Arda Guler – 5 assists in 1088 minutes. Szoboszlai – 5 assists in 2887 minutes.” – This user provided further statistical context, comparing their assist records relative to playing time, seemingly in support of Szoboszlai’s point about game time and impact.
- “Arda said shut up and do your talking on the pitch. I guess the message didn’t get through,” – This comment interprets Güler’s ‘shush’ as a challenge to Szoboszlai’s on-field performance, which Szoboszlai seemingly answered with his playtime comment.
- “Need more of this.” – Some fans appreciate the drama and banter between players, viewing it as adding excitement to the sport.
- “Arrogance and ego is back in football. I used to pray for times like this.” – This comment reflects a nostalgic view, appreciating player rivalries and displays of ego as part of football’s entertainment value.
Szoboszlai left the comment ‘1088’ on the Instagram post. Image credit: nso.hu
Güler’s move to Real Madrid from Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023 was highly anticipated. However, under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, he has found consistent first-team opportunities hard to come by.
In his initial season with Los Blancos, Güler made only 12 appearances. While this season saw an increase to 31 appearances, a significant portion, 21, were as a substitute. This limited role at club level is the core of Szoboszlai’s pointed remark.
Despite limited club playtime, Turkey’s national team manager, Vincenzo Montella, remains supportive of Güler. “He’s an exceptional footballer. We all know his talent and what he can contribute,” Montella stated. “It’s generally understood that players with regular club football tend to be national team regulars. However, we need to be understanding in Arda’s situation.”
Football Feuds and Social Media Banter: More of This in Modern Football?
The Szoboszlai-Güler incident highlights the growing intersection of on-field rivalries and social media banter in modern football. Players are increasingly using platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to continue battles and engage in mind games that once stayed within the confines of the pitch and dressing rooms.
Do you enjoy seeing this kind of player interaction and rivalry spilling onto social media, or do you think it detracts from the sport? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!