Batrakov: My only goal at Galatasaray is the championship

Aleksey Batrakov, who started in the friendly match against Uzbekistan and attracted great interest in his country, spoke about his personal development and his goals at Galatasaray after the game.

Speaking to the Russian press, the 21-year-old footballer said that for now he is focusing on improving his English. Batrakov, who said his English was not very good during his school years, explained that he works with a private tutor several times a week and that learning Turkish is also possible in the future. He added that he can understand people easily in daily life and on the pitch and can communicate, but still struggles a little.

Asked whether he had a personal scoring target, Batrakov said his most important aim is to help Galatasaray, win matches for his team and reach the championship. Noting that he has no personal targets for now, the footballer said he has noticed his shortcomings in progressing with the ball, getting past opponents and in one-on-one duels while playing in the Champions League and the Turkish league.

Batrakov said these shortcomings are partly related to his physical attributes, as he is shorter than most of his peers. The footballer, who argued that academy players should be given more freedom to express themselves with the ball, said this is not only a problem specific to Russia but also one seen in Brazil. Saying he is still at the beginning of his path, Batrakov expressed his belief that he can do something about this.