Former Brazilian international Felipe Melo has revealed that a late phone call from fellow countryman Cláudio Taffarel and an emotional pitch from coach Fatih Terim derailed his near-completion of a loan move from Juventus to Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, sending him to Galatasaray instead.
Melo, then a Juventus player, said the PSG transfer was so advanced that his plane tickets had already been purchased. But Taffarel a legendary Brazilian goalkeeper who was working as a goalkeeping coach at Galatasaray urged him to reconsider. “As a Brazilian, you have to listen to a call from Taffarel,” Melo explained. Taffarel told him: “Listen to us too.
Talk with the Emperor.” Melo agreed to speak with Terim, nicknamed “the Emperor,” whose words about the club’s passionate fanbase and electric matchday atmosphere immediately convinced him. Melo later said watching a Galatasaray-Inter match sealed the decision not money, but the raw emotion of the supporters.
Melo joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan from Juventus with an option to buy. He made the move permanent and stayed until 2015, winning multiple Süper Lig titles, playing over 150 matches, and becoming a beloved figure in Istanbul.
The defensive midfielder, who earned 22 caps for Brazil and played at the 2010 World Cup, retired from professional football in early 2025.