Years ago, the Turkish volleyball team almost managed to sign a great talent in Tijana Boskovic, who could have followed in the footsteps of star player Melissa Vargas.

The revelation came to light when Boskovic, who currently plays for Eczacibasi Dynavit and will represent Serbia at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, spoke about her previous encounters with Turkish volleyball officials.

Turkish volleyball clubs show early interest in Boskovic

In interviews with Serbian media, Boskovic and her father, Ljupko Boskovic, described Galatasaray’s attempts to recruit her when she was younger. Boskovic recalled: “Galatasaray offered my family and me a house, a car, a school and Turkish citizenship. It was like a fairy tale, but I had Serbia in mind and turned down the offer.”

The recruitment talks began when she was just 14 years old. Ataman Guneyligil, a coach of the Turkish national team, noticed Boskovic’s potential during the Balkan Championship where she played for the Bosnian national team. Guneyligil informed the management of Galatasaray about her talent, which led to their recruitment efforts.

Tijana’s near-victory over the Turkish national volleyball team

Orkun Darnel, a manager of Galatasaray, described in detail how Tijana was discovered during the Balkan Championship while playing for the Bosnian national team. Galatasaray had taken her to Istanbul for training sessions and had almost completed the paperwork to allow her to join the Turkish national team.

However, the Serbian Volleyball Federation acted quickly and secured her commitment to Serbia before Galatasaray could finalize the agreements. “We almost had her, but the Serbian Federation acted quickly to secure her,” Darnel explained.

Tijana trained with Galatasaray in Istanbul

Ljupko Boskovic added that Tijana trained with Galatasaray in Turkey. The family spent several days in Istanbul, where Turkish officials continually tried to convince her to join the team.

However, the process required her to change her surname to a Turkish equivalent, “Boskoglu”, due to Turkish laws regarding citizenship at the time. Despite Türkiye’s extensive efforts and offers, the Boskovic family remained committed to Serbia.

Galatasaray manager Orkun Darnel gave more insight into the missed opportunity, explaining: “We had everything arranged for Boskovic, including an agreement with a local school.

However, the Serbian Volleyball Federation acted quickly and secured her commitment before we could finalize our plans. The week we were supposed to go to Bosnia to finalize things, the Serbians had already taken her to Belgrade and signed her.”

Tijana Boskovic’s blossoming career

Boskovic’s career continued to flourish in Serbia, earning numerous accolades including being named Most Valuable Player (MVP) at two World Championships and winning several European and world titles.

Her successful career has made her one of the best volleyball players in the world. Funnily enough, she now plays for a Turkish professional team, Eczacibasi Dynavit.

If Boskovic had accepted Türkiye’s offer, she could have been an important asset to the Turkish team, just as Melissa Vargas has been.

Melissa Vargas chooses Turkish national volleyball team

Melissa Vargas, a Cuban-born volleyball player, has made a significant impact on the Turkish national team since joining. Vargas began her professional career at a young age in Cuba, moved to Türkiye and played for Fenerbahce.

In 2021, she received Turkish citizenship and after a two-year wait, she made her debut for the Turkish national team.

Vargas quickly made her mark, leading Türkiye to victory in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and the 2023 Women’s European Volleyball Championship, where she was named MVP in both tournaments.

Her arrival has been a crucial factor in Türkiye’s recent success in international volleyball, helping the team reach the top of the women’s world rankings under the guidance of coach Daniele Santarelli.