🎤 Colin Kazim-Richards Interview and Euro 2024 Predictions with OLBG

Colin Kazim-Richards Gives his Predictions for Euro 2024

In this interview, Colin Kazim-Richards shares his predictions for Euro 2024, highlighting favourites, potential dark horses, key players, and personal reflections on his own experiences.

🏆 Colin Kazim-Richards's Euro 2024 Predictions! 🏆

🌍 Euro 2024 Winner Prediction: France

⚽️ Golden Boot Prediction: Kylian Mbappe

🏆 Golden Ball Prediction: Jude Bellingham

🐴 Dark Horses: Belgium, Holland, Germany

🇹🇷 Turkey's Group Stage Prediction: Will qualify, possibly win the group

🏁 Match Predictions:

  - Turkey vs Georgia: 3-0 win for Turkey

  - Turkey vs Portugal: 0-0 draw

  - Turkey vs Czech Republic: 2-1 win for Turkey

Colin Kazim-Richards Euro 2024 Predictions

Colin Kazim-Richards

37 International Caps for Turkey

Q: Who will win Euro 2024?

CK-R: “I think France. France have a great squad. I think they have great individual players, but also I think when you see the French team hook up, they all look like friends. They all look like they understand what the motive is.

“I think especially after last night, I think Kylian Mbappe will definitely be on a mission to cement his name in greatness.”

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Q: Who will win the Golden Boot at Euro 2024?

CK-R: “If I was a betting man, my bet would be Kylian Mbappe, to be honest. 

“When you watch France, they just know what they have to do to win and they know where they need to get the ball and who the ball needs to go to and who's in the right areas. 

“I don't think there's any kind of ego when it comes to Mbappe, he's the man, he's in the right areas and that's the guy they need to get the ball to. 

“I definitely think Mbappe will be up there, I think he'll take the golden boot. But also, you can't knock Harry Kane. Every time he's with the national team, he scores goals.”

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Q: Who will win the Golden Ball at Euro 2024?

CK-R: “Jude Bellingham for me, man, for a young man to have such a personality and then to be able to then do it on the pitch. He's on a mission. 

“And I'm sure that that mission is to be the best player in the tournament, for sure. I think it's what drives him to be the best that he can be week in, week out.

“I don't think anything can affect him. He's playing at the biggest club in the world, the most scrutinised team in the world. So coming into this tournament, flying, just having won the league, I think they're going to win the Champions League. 

“I just think that he's going to be right up there to win this Golden Ball.”

Q: Who are your dark horses at Euro 2024? 

CK-R: “As much as I would love to see Turkey do well, my actual dark horses, you've got teams like Belgium, when they get it right, they've got amazing players as well. Then you've got Holland, their top players now are at the peak of their game as well. 

“Hopefully Memphis Depay will be fit and firing. He's training hard to get back fit. You can't really take away from Germany as well. They're in their home country, top players like Jamal Musiala And he doesn't shy away from anything. So those are my three.”

Q: How far will Turkey get at Euro 2024?

CK-R: “I believe that Turkey will definitely qualify from their group. I know that Germany are playing at home, but Turkey are playing at home as well, believe me. 

“It's going to be crazy. It's going to be like both Germany and Turkey are at home and that makes a huge difference.

“I don't think Turkey have as much quality as some of the top teams, but they have very good players and some top promising talent and it will be like playing at home.

“The fans will make the difference, not just in the stadium but when you're on the way to the stadium. If some guys are going for a walk you're going to see Turkish fans. 

“So for me, I definitely believe they can get out of their group. I think that they can win their group. What happens next depends on who they get.”

Q: How far will England get at Euro 2024?

CK-R: “I just think that the problem with England is not necessarily the players. The problem is the team selection. Watching how the team gets selected, we always try to fit everybody into that eleven.

“We want to get them all on the pitch, which historically just hasn’t worked. We try to put Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard, with one on the left wing.

“That’s instead of picking the best XI in terms of who's going to go out and win the game. So for me, I can't really put a finger on it if winning the tournament will be a failure or not, because you do have other big nations as well.

CK-R believes team selection is England's achillies heel!. - Image: Shutterstock/Dokshin Vlad

“Do England have the best squad when you match it up to France? When you match it up to Germany as well or Spain.

“But in the last European Championship and the last World Cup, England are always there and thereabouts and they have got some amazing players.”

Q: Who would you build the England team around?

CK-R: “England are a joy to watch, it’s just about who you play and where. Does Phil Foden play on the right, does Jude Bellingham slip back into a midfield two? It’s about picking a complimentary XI and not just the best players.

“England have got a lot of young talent. They really got like some real stone cold guys right now, like Cole Palmer. Cole Palmer is a player that I would give the reins to personally.

“For me it doesn't matter who's in front of him or what system you play, he just makes things happen. People have been arguing about who should play over Phil Foden or Cole Palmer.

“For me personally, I know he hasn't done it long, but Cole Palmer is just like an assassin to me, no matter what. He might get Chelsea into Europe basically with his two hands and two feet.

“I just think now they've got a couple of guys with that killer instinct like Cole Palmer, they've got Jude Bellingham, they've got Bukayo Saka,. Everybody can just be a casualty.“

Q: What do you make of Turkey’s young talent Arda Guler?

CK-R: “'s nice to see young talent come through, especially when they come through with no ego. With Arda Guler, it's nice to see a Turkish player that's been born and raised in Turkey and his football has come through there.

“Normally you see a lot of good Turkish players who have progressed and learned from playing in Germany.

“Arda Guler has got no ceiling. He's got no ceiling. The thing that is very fascinating is that he seems very cultured. When he gets the ball, it seems like he's been playing for a long time despite being only 19 years old. He’s magic.”

Q: What was it like for you to turn down England to represent Turkey?

CK-R: “My mum's Turkish Cypriot, and my Nene on that side didn’t speak a word of English at the time. So my culture growing up was also Turkish but just in another country.

“The fans were amazing from day one to me. I turned down England under 21s at the same time I got called up for the Turkish national team. So that was massive for them. The adaptation was easy because they loved me from the start.

“The difficult part was the different culture on the pitch, have they play, how they mark, how they communicate with each other. The most difficult part was being at a tournament and having so much down time.

“For me personally, that was the most difficult part. Sometimes the language barrier could have an impact. But the fans were always incredible.

“Anyone that plays against Turkey or anyone that is in the vicinity of any Turkey fans, just be ready. I think they call Berlin ‘Little Istanbul’ so that just tells you what to expect during the Euros.

“I got a taste of it when I was at Euro 2008, playing in Switzerland and Austria. So now in Germany, and remember you're going to have an inflation of Turks coming over as well. So it's just going to be crazy.”

Q: What was it like to start in the semi-finals of Euro 2008?

CK-R: “That experience there was life-changing. Playing for Turkey, you don't really imagine it going like that. We got to the semi-finals and we really, really put it to Germany.

“We all were saying if we would have got through that game I think we would have given Spain a better game than Germany did. It didn't go our way but we hit the bar twice and they scored in the last minute to win it.

“I think in the first half they had one shot. We only had 14 squad members, so on the bench, I think we only had like three or four players.

“So to go out there and lose the game 3-2, what's difficult is when you're that close and it kind of slips through your hands, but looking at it from a different perspective, we came third. 

“When we went back to Turkey, we had stamps, you know, like postcard stamps of all the players. I've got postcards, stamps of my face on it and stuff like that. It was just amazing. What an amazing time.”

Q: What is your prediction for Turkey vs Georgia?

CK-R: “I’m definitely confident for all the games but especially for Turkey vs Georgia. I think it’s a nice welcome to the tournament.

“I think Turkey could win that game 3-0, Georgia have some good players but with the atmosphere, I just think that Turkey come out victorious.”

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Q: What is your prediction for Turkey vs Portugal?

CK-R: “In Euro 2008 we had Portugal in the first game and lost to them. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get with Portugal, they can have incredible players and sometimes they fail to gel but others they can turn it on.

“When you’ve got Cristiano Ronaldo in your team, he can pull something off, even at 39.”

“But for this game I've got it down as a draw. I think it will be a bit tentative, especially if Turkey win the first game. I've got it down as a draw, but anything can happen in that game. 

“I’ve got that at 0-0, I don’t see too many goals.”

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Q: What is your prediction for Turkey vs Czech Republic?

CK-R: “Hopefully Turkey are through by the time they play the Czech Republic but it’s good to get consistency in tournaments. You still want to win that game.

“I think Turkey will win 2-1 but the Czech side always come out hard against us, especially when we played them in Euro 2008.

“It was a crazy game. Volkan Demirel got sent off for a headbutt on Jan Koller, it was a crazy game. So there's history there but I still think Turkey come out victorious. I think out of the three games. It’s very tricky. It's a difficult game.”

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Q: Is Cristiano Ronaldo still a big danger for Portugal going forward?

CK-R: “Cristiano Ronaldo is still a massive danger. He’s one of the top goalscorers in the world this season, even though he’s playing in Saudi Arabia but you still have to put the ball in the back of the net. 

“Having said that, he might not be the guy to lead them for 90 minutes on the pitch, but around the changing room, the hotel and then coming off the bench. I’d put everything I own on Cristiano Ronaldo putting the ball in the back of the net.

“He’s a legend. He is one of the greatest of all time whether you like his style or not, should he be there? One million percent. Should he start? That's for the coach to decide.”

Q: Will defenders still fear coming up against Cristiano Ronaldo?

CK-R: “Defenders will still fear Cristiano Ronaldo, one million percent. For a centre back, when they line up and see Cristiano standing there, it's psychological warfare. 

“They might be able to press him now because it's not the same, he's a bit slower now, but if that ball drops in the 18 yard box all around and he gets to it, it’s going where it needs to go.”

Q: What is your opinion of the new Turkey kit?

CK-R: “Turkey shirts are always classic, they hit the spot. The shirt I’m wearing now is from Euro 2012 qualifying and it’s almost exactly the same as the new one.

“I have to be a bit selfish and say I love them. I love the kits and having put this one on for the first time in years, it feels like I’m going for a game.

“I love the national team kits and they should always have that connection, that’s why fans can take new designs or changes a bit personally.”

Q: How would you feel if England played Turkey?

CK-R: “It wouldn't be hard for me at all. Turkey all the way!”

Colin Kazim Richards Profile

Colin Kazim-Richards (b. August 26, 1986) is an English-born professional footballer known for his stint as a forward for the Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük S.K. His Turkish name, Kâzım, originates from his mother's heritage, which was erroneously added to his legal name, making him Colin Kazim-Richards.

Football Career

Kazim-Richards' career started off with junior stints at Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal, leading to a professional football contract with Bury. His impressive performances earned him transfers to Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United. He subsequently moved to play for prominent European clubs, including Fenerbahçe, Toulouse, Galatasaray, Olympiacos, Bursaspor, Feyenoord, Blackburn Rovers, Celtic, and Derby County. He also had a four-year stint in Brazil and Mexico with Coritiba, Corinthians, Lobos BUAP, Veracruz, and Pachuca.

International Career

In 2007, Kazim-Richards opted to represent Turkey at the international level, earning 37 caps and netting twice before retiring in 2015. He had also appeared at U21 and B level for Turkey.

Recent Developments

His latest contract had him donning Fatih Karagümrük S.K.'s colours, where his performances remain influential. Despite a successful international career, Kazim-Richards retired from international football, choosing to focus his competition in various European football leagues.

Interview May 2024

Speaking exclusively to OLBG, Colin Kazim-Richards has urged Marcus Rashford to force an exit from Manchester United to be appreciated again in Europe.

The former Galatasaray and Derby County forward has also told England boss Gareth Southgate to build his team around Cole Palmer at Euro 2024.

Ex-Turkey international has also picked Lionel Messi as a ‘different alien’ in the GOAT debate with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Q: Should Marcus Rashford go and play his football abroad?

CK-R: “I'd love Marcus to go abroad. I've said that to everybody. The style and the way he plays when he's at his top is set for you. It's set for him. The appreciation that he will get from playing in Europe would be crazy. 

“Everybody looks for the reason why he hasn’t been producing for Man Utd, but who is producing at Man Utd?

“We like to talk about Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and whoever it is. But if we really look, who is there apart from Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo who is doing it?

“That's the question that needs to be asked. I think it's very easy to pick up on individuals and say, oh, he's not doing this, he's not doing that. But it's a very difficult time over there now. 

“I think it's a club that's in transition, an absolutely massive club, but not a big team anymore.”

Q: Has Jadon Sancho embarrassed Erik ten Hag with his recent performances?

CK-R: “I’m always for the players but I have to be honest and for whatever reason, Jadon Sancho didn’t do it for United. Nobody really knows the full situation apart from the people involved.

“He has gone to Dortmund and taken some time to warm up but you’re starting to see the benefits of him getting a little bit of TLC.

“I think there has been faults on both parties. Could Jadon have done more? Probably. Did United have to treat him like that? Maybe not. Only they know.

“But all we can talk about is now. 'm from East London, he's from South London so it’s nice to see someone from a similar area impress again and reach the Champions League final.

“Everything that he'd been projected to be is finally coming to fruition. But that's what happened last time as well. 

“So hopefully when all of this calms down after the Champions League final, he can still be that man and push on. Sometimes in life, especially in football, you're put in situations that you don't necessarily like but you still have to produce.

“I'm talking like that as a man that has played in many countries and been put in many situations. Sometimes you wake up and don’t fancy it but you still have to do it. It’s a results business.“

Q: Do you lean towards Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate?

CK-R: “I love those questions. I think that's what football is about. But I don't think you should compare them. It's very difficult to do that. 

“But saying who you prefer? That's the special thing about football, having those debates.

“I think Messi is different, he’s an alien. Neymar is at his top as well, it's just something that is crazy.

“Cristiano, for me, what I take from him, his work effort and wanting and actually setting it and stating and wanting to be the best, that's something you have to respect more than anything. 

“But who would I rather? In my team, I'd take any one of them, but if I had the choice and I had 200, 300 million to buy a player at their prime, I would have bought Messi.”

Q: Are Sheffield United one of the worst Premier League teams ever?

C-KR: “I love Sheffield and love Sheffield United. I had an amazing time there. I think the way we went down then was a bit suspect and to this day is very political. I can say that now I’m not playing anymore.

“I think this season they got it wrong from the jump. They sold their best players and their most effective players. And this is not disrespect to anybody, they didn’t get the key players to come and fill those spots.

“So from the start, it was just downhill and it never stopped going downhill. It was like a snowball effect. It just kept going and going and going. And it's such a shame to see that place used to be a ground where teams didn’t like to go.

“I think this year they kind of let that go. I think it was a place where people were coming and picking up a lot of points, which when you're fighting for relegation or you're not classed as one of the big clubs, you have to really cement your place at home.”

Q: What do you think of Hull City sacking Liam Rosenior? 

CK-R: “Crazy respect to Liam Rosenior for what he has done. He has done an amazing job. They looked dead and buried. He’s gone there and given them a bit of identity.

“They missed out on the playoffs by three points and I think give it four or five weeks and he could have another job in the Championship. The way he plays is effective football.

“He can only get better because he's probably learned a lot as well over there, having that experience. I just feel he's a good coach at the moment and it's a shame to see him go. 

“But this business, whether you're in the Championship, League Two, League One, this football business right now, that's what's happening with coaches.”

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Q: Will Celtic beat Rangers and secure another Scottish Premiership title?

CK-R: “I definitely think it's in their hands. They play Rangers at home at the weekend while sitting three points ahead, but that’s still a tough game, a huge game.

“Everybody knows about Celtic fans. Celtic fans are amazing. It's a tough, tough place to go and play. 

“Now I would like to see now Celtic push on in Europe. That's something I would like to see one million percent. I think that's got to be in their plans. 

“Everybody knows what they do in the Scottish league. Everybody knows what Rangers do in the Scottish league. But it would be nice to see Celtic push on in Europe.”