Belgium’s all-time top scorer, Romelu Lukaku, has signed for Turkish club Fenerbahçe. At his official presentation in Istanbul, Lukaku described it as “only natural that he would return to his second home”, the country where his father once played. Having spent much of last season injured, he’s ready for action for his new club.
Lukaku has only just arrived in Türkiye, but he already seems to feel completely at home. “You know, I’ve been waiting for this for a month,” were his first words on Friday morning at the official presentation. “It’s an honour to be here, something I’ve wanted for a long time.”
His past plays a big part in that. “This beautiful country is a second home to me, because my father played in Türkiye in 1996,” he said. “That’s when I realised I wanted to become a footballer. I still have those memories vividly in my mind. My brother played here too. My dad’s last goal in Türkiye was against Fener, and the only match I ever played in Türkiye was in this stadium against the national team. Playing for Fenerbahçe now is something I needed.”
This beautiful country is a second home to me, because my father played in Türkiye in 1996
The club has ambitions of winning the league title, lifting the Turkish Cup and making an impact in Europe. “We know we can compete on three fronts, but all the players will need to have the right mindset,” he said. “The atmosphere within the squad is very good. We know what our ambitions are and by treating every match as a final, we can achieve them.”
Fenerbahçe have won the Turkish Super League 19 times, second only to current champions Galatasaray, who have 26 titles to their name. The season begins on Friday, with Fenerbahçe kicking off with an away fixture at Gençlerbirliği.
It’s an honour to be here, something I’ve wanted for a long time
Lukaku spent last season at Italian side Napoli, alongside his Red Devils teammate Kevin De Bruyne. The two veterans appeared for Belgium in the summer’s World Cup, where they were knocked out by eventual winners Spain in the quarter-finals.