Former Inter, Torino, Parma and Galatasaray forward Hakan Sukur confessed he is now an Uber driver to make ends meet after he was exiled from Turkey.
The 48-year-old was a regular fixture in Serie A from 2000 to 2002, scoring nine goals in 44 Serie A appearances, while he took Turkey to third place at the 2002 World Cup.
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.
Former Inter, Torino, Parma and Galatasaray forward Hakan Sukur confessed he is now an Uber driver to make ends meet after he was exiled from Turkey.
The 48-year-old was a regular fixture in Serie A from 2000 to 2002, scoring nine goals in 44 Serie A appearances, while he took Turkey to third place at the 2002 World Cup.
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.
Hakan Sukur, along with many others, was accused of participating in a failed coup, prompting him to go into exile.
“I have nothing left, Erdogan took everything: my right to liberty, freedom of expression and right to work,” the former player told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
“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.”