Real Madrid are the club with the most UEFA Champions League titles. Over the past 70 years, they’ve lifted the trophy 15 times — more than double the total of their closest challenger, AC Milan (7). The most recent of those titles came in 2024, but one member of that squad has now made a surprising confession.
“I didn’t win it, it wasn’t mine,” admitted Arda Guler in a recent interview with L’Équipe. He was referring to his limited role in the team during that campaign — his first with Real Madrid after joining from Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Guler has understandable reasons to feel that way. That year, he dealt with multiple injuries that made adapting to the Spanish side difficult, to the point where he didn’t play a single minute in that season’s Champions League. However, he was on the bench for 8 of the team’s 13 matches in the European campaign.
Rather than feeling frustrated by that experience, the Turkish midfielder is using it as motivation for the future. “We have to go get another,” he said. “That’s one of my main goals. I want kids in my country to be able to say, ‘Arda did it, I can do it too.’”
Arda Guler of Real Madrid.
Arda Guler’s numbers at Real Madrid
Real Madrid paid around $23 million in 2023 to beat out Barcelona and sign Guler. The left-footed midfielder’s clear talent had caught the attention of both Spanish giants, but Los Blancos’ stronger financial position and the player’s own preference helped seal the deal.
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After that first injury-plagued season, in which Arda played just 12 matches and scored 6 goals, his role grew significantly the following year. Still under head coach Carlo Ancelotti, he made 49 appearances and scored 6 goals.
This season, under Xabi Alonso, Arda Guler’s numbers are even better. He has featured in both Champions League matches and all eight La Liga games so far, registering 3 goals and 4 assists in total.
The Champions League remains Guler’s biggest goal
Having lifted the trophy without playing a single minute in the 2023–24 Champions League, Guler saw more action the following season. He played in seven matches, but the team’s overall performance was less convincing, and they were eliminated in the quarterfinals with a heavy 1–5 defeat to Arsenal.
This year, Real Madrid have another opportunity to showcase their strength on the European stage — and so far, they’re off to a perfect start. They’ve taken maximum points, with a 2–1 win over Olympique Marseille in their opener followed by a 5–0 rout of Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan. Guler started both matches and recorded one assist.
