Turkey’s leading players such as Hakan Calhanolgu and Burak Yilmaz will be more than 1,400km from their capital city as they face Wales in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 match in Baku.
Despite the distance, the fixture will feel like a home game for the Crescent Stars due to the historical, cultural and linguistic links between the country and the oil-rich state of Azerbaijan, which overlooks the Caspian Sea.
In the days leading up to the match, a second for both sides in the tournament, Turkish memorabilia was on sale at all souvenir shops while flags flew in the ‘City of Winds’ from apartment buildings, shops and offices.