21-year-old Russian soccer star Aleksey Batrakov is tearing up the Champions League for Galatasaray. Turkish fans are even serenading him with ‘Kalinka.’
Meduza · 11 Nov 2026

21-year-old Russian soccer star Aleksey Batrakov is tearing up the Champions League for Galatasaray. Turkish fans are even serenading him with ‘Kalinka.’

Aleksey Batrakov moved from Lokomotiv to Galatasaray at the end of the summer. Although he had long been hailed in Russia as a generational talent, few expected him to become a star in European soccer in just a couple of months. Turkish fans chant his name and dedicate banners and songs to him, while social media is flooded with memes and AI slop featuring the Russian midfielder.


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