In the beginning, things were quite different. When Hakan Calhanoglu started his impressive run, he was playing for AC Milan, and the Serie A was navigating unusual circumstances, with the season extending into late June due to the pandemic in 2020. It was during this challenging time that Calhanoglu scored the first of his now remarkable tally of 17 consecutive penalties against Roma at San Siro.
Fast forward to his latest performance against Lecce, and once again, Calhanoglu demonstrated his penalty prowess. With a powerful right-foot shot that left Lecce goalkeeper Falcone guessing, he continued his streak and secured a vital win for Inter Milan over the Romans. This latest goal has firmly positioned Calhanoglu at the top of the Serie A record books for the longest streak of successful penalties, overtaking Giampaolo Pazzini, who had previously held the record with 16.
Interestingly, Calhanoglu’s journey with penalties began while he was still with Milan during the 2020-21 season when he converted his second penalty against Lazio. He has maintained this impressive form even after moving to Inter Milan, where he kept finding the back of the net from the spot against top teams like Milan, Napoli, and Juventus in the following season.
For the 2022-23 campaign, he scored another penalty against Bologna, followed by an astonishing nine more successful conversions last season against teams such as Fiorentina, Milan again, Torino, Atalanta, Frosinone, Udinese (twice), Monza, Cagliari, and finally, another against Torino. When it comes to penalties, Calhanoglu has certainly made a name for himself in Serie A, showcasing his remarkable consistency and skill.