Fenerbahçe Icon Cristian Baroni Talks Tears, Triumphs, and His Time in Turkey

When asked about his current activities, Baroni said:
“I now have my own clothing brand. My son plays for Corinthians, so I follow his progress closely. As always, I continue with my work. Lately, I’ve been focusing more on my brand and business.”

“I HAVE NO INTENTION OF BECOMING A COACH”

Baroni emphasized that he still has projects related to football but ruled out coaching.
“Everything I achieved in my football career is very important to me. I love being involved in football, but I have no intention of becoming a coach. I think it’s a very difficult and complex job. I enjoy helping young players climb the steps of professional football more. That is something I truly want to do—it’s my dream,” he explained.

“FENERBAHÇE IS EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE”

The former Samba star remains deeply devoted to Fenerbahçe and is grateful for his five years at the club. Baroni described his emotions with these words:
“Fenerbahçe is everything in my life. Thanks to Fenerbahçe, I became a better professional and a better person. It is the club for which I feel the greatest love, respect, and admiration. Turkey and Fenerbahçe have a very special place in my heart.”

“I NEVER GOT TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE FANS, IT STILL BOTHERS ME—I’D LOVE A FAREWELL MATCH”

Baroni admitted that he never had the chance to properly say goodbye to Fenerbahçe fans when he left in 2014. Now, he dreams of a testimonial match in Kadıköy.
“Kadıköy is my home. I won championships and achieved great success there. I truly want to wear the yellow-and-navy jersey one last time and play in front of our incredible fans in Kadıköy. That is my wish, my dream. I never got to say a proper farewell to the fans—I never had that opportunity, and it still bothers me. If God allows it, I would love to play one last time in Kadıköy, have my testimonial, and bid farewell to the great Fenerbahçe supporters in the right way.”

“I MISS KADIKÖY A LOT, IT WAS MY HOME”

Baroni also shared a message for Fenerbahçe fans, saying:
“I miss Kadıköy a lot, it was my home. It was a place where I felt good, where I felt special. The fans always supported us in an amazing way. The atmosphere in Kadıköy was incredible and surreal. I miss them a lot. I support Fenerbahçe from Brazil and continue to follow them. My Fenerbahçe fans still support me in many areas today. I am grateful to them.”

“PERHAPS THIS DREAM WILL COME TRUE”

Reiterating his dream of playing one last time on the pitch in Kadıköy, Baroni continued:
“My goal has always been to win championships with every team I played for. Thank God, I won championships, cups, and individual awards at Fenerbahçe. I achieved things I never imagined, scoring many goals. Who knows, maybe one day I will return there, watch a match, and hear the fans shouting my name. This is a dream, my dream. I want to return to Turkey and experience the honor of watching a match in Kadıköy. I couldn’t do that when I left Turkey. Who knows, maybe one day this dream will come true.”

“I RECEIVED AN OFFER FROM BREMEN, DAUM CONVINCED ME”

Baroni also shared his thoughts on Fenerbahçe’s former manager Christoph Daum, who passed away on August 24, 2024. The Brazilian expressed his gratitude towards the German football legend:
“Daum was a man who helped me in every way. He taught me how football is played in Europe. He was a coach who loved foreign players. I had received an official offer from Werder Bremen at that time. Daum, being German, knew the situation very well and spoke with me to convince me to join Fenerbahçe. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have had a football career in Turkey. I am very grateful to him. I was deeply saddened by Daum’s passing. He was a man who helped me a lot, and I am truly upset.”

“IT’S SAD THAT AYKUT KOCAMAN ISN’T COACHING, TURKISH FOOTBALL NEEDS HIM”

Baroni won his first Süper Lig championship under Aykut Kocaman in the 2010-11 season. He described his former coach with the following words:
“I started my story with Daum, and then Aykut came to manage the team. My Fenerbahçe journey began with them. I am very grateful to Aykut for giving me the opportunity to play. I owe a lot to Aykut Kocaman. He is a coach I admire and love very much. He helped me in every way—both as a person, as a family man, and as an individual. If I am ‘Fenerbahçeli’ Cristian Baroni today, it’s thanks to Aykut. Both on and off the pitch, in every aspect. I am grateful for what he did for me in this journey. I love him very much. It’s sad that he hasn’t been coaching for a long time. I would love to see him coaching again. Turkish football needs valuable coaches like him.”

“ERSUN HOCA GOT MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM US”

Baroni won his second championship with Fenerbahçe under Ersun Yanal in the 2013-14 season. He praised Yanal’s ability to get the best out of the players:
“Ersun Hoca was a coach who strengthened and prepared us in the best possible way. He is also someone I deeply admire. Ersun Hoca was someone who tried to get maximum output from every player, to achieve maximum results. If I’m not mistaken, thanks to him, we were 10 points ahead of Galatasaray, and he made the best use of us. It’s because of him that we were able to give our best.”

“I WAS VERY SAD TO LEAVE FENERBAHÇE”

When recalling his departure from Kadıköy, Baroni explained:
“My reason for leaving was the foreign player limitation, because at that time, only 10 foreign players were allowed in Turkey. Later, this number dropped to 6. I was very sad to leave Fenerbahçe because it was my home. But this was the preference of Turkish football, and I had to respect what happened. I wish I could have said a better goodbye, but as I said, maybe one day I’ll return there. That way, I can at least say goodbye to the fans the right way.”

“AZİZ YILDIRIM IS A LEGEND FOR ME, THE BEST PRESIDENT I’VE WORKED WITH”

Cristian Baroni also spoke about the then-President of Fenerbahçe, Aziz Yıldırım. Highlighting Yıldırım’s working style and approach, Baroni said:
“President Aziz Yıldırım was also a great help to me. He treated me very well throughout the entire process, from signing to the end. That’s why I have great respect for him. He was our guide and leader. I owe him a lot. He is a president whose working style and approach I really admire and love. I believe many of Fenerbahçe’s successes are thanks to him. For me, he is a legend. He is the best president I’ve worked with.”

Cristian Baroni in brief…

Alex de Souza:
“Alex holds a very important place in my career; he helped me a lot. His teachings on the field, his style of play, and what he did added so much to my game and set an example for me. I’m very happy to have played football with him.”

Dani Güiza:
“He was an excellent player, a European champion in Spain, and an important forward for us. However, he faced a lot of bad luck here.”

The players he enjoyed playing with the most:
Alex, Emre Belözoğlu, Raul Meireles, Moussa Sow, Pierre Webo, and Volkan Demirel.

The penalty miss against Benfica:
“One of the most impactful moments for me was undoubtedly missing the penalty against Benfica in the UEFA Europa League. It was one of the toughest moments of my career here. It showed me that despite the mistake, my hard work and dedication were appreciated.”

The iconic crying celebration:
“Matches are very important for fans. In Turkey, millions of people live and breathe football. I was always serious on the pitch, but sometimes I liked to add a little fun to things. That’s why I would do the crying celebration in a sweet way to provoke the opponents a bit.”

The Süper Lig championship race:
“I try to follow the matches whenever I can. Fenerbahçe will be the champion this season. I believe this with all my heart. In recent weeks, the team has improved its form. Galatasaray has a strong squad, but José Mourinho is a big winner, and he knows what to do under pressure. That’s why the championship is close.”

CRISTIAN BARONI’S FENERBAHÇE CAREER

Cristian Baroni, who expressed his longing for Kadıköy several times in this interview, played a total of 200 matches for Fenerbahçe in all competitions. The Brazilian midfielder scored 29 goals and provided 23 assists in those 200 matches. Baroni won two Süper Lig championships, two Ziraat Türkiye Cup titles, and two Türkiye Süper Kupa victories with Fenerbahçe.