Turkey’s hopes of conquering Europe and winning their first international title rest at the feet of free-kick maestro Hakan Calhanoglu whose repertoire features the kind of silky skills the football-mad nation craves.
Calhanoglu is just one of the stars of a squad that many view as Turkey’s new golden generation.
The Turks’ best international performances include a semi-final appearance at Euro 2008 and a third-place finish in the 2002 World Cup.
But a trophy has remained tantalisingly out of reach.