Emre Belözoğlu facts for kids
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Belözoğlu captaining Turkey in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Emre Belözoğlu | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Istanbul, Turkey | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Antalyaspor (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Zeytinburnuspor | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Galatasaray | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2001 | Galatasaray | 102 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Inter Milan | 79 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Newcastle United | 58 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Fenerbahçe | 103 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Atlético Madrid | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Fenerbahçe | 56 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 104 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Fenerbahçe | 26 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 531 | (60) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Turkey U15 | 11 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Turkey U16 | 35 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Turkey U17 | 7 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Turkey U18 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Turkey U21 | 12 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2019 | Turkey | 101 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Fenerbahçe (caretaker) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | İstanbul Başakşehir | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Ankaragücü | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Antalyaspor | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Emre Belözoğlu (born 7 September 1980), often called just Emre, is a Turkish football manager. He used to be a professional player. Currently, he is the head coach for Antalyaspor.
Emre played as a midfielder, often helping to create goals. He started his football journey in the youth teams at Galatasaray. He made his first team debut at just 16 years old in 1996. After five successful years with Galatasaray, where he won many titles, he moved to Inter Milan. He also played for Newcastle United, Fenerbahçe, Atlético Madrid, and İstanbul Başakşehir.
Emre was a key player for the Turkey national team from 2000 to 2019. He played over 100 games for his country. He helped Turkey reach the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008. He was also named in the FIFA 100, a special list of the greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Emre Belözoğlu's father, Mehmet, first introduced him to football. He started training at the Zeytinburnuspor club. Fans quickly noticed his amazing control with his left foot.
Coach Salih Bulgurlu saw his talent and gave him special training. Bulgurlu helped Emre for four years, teaching him important skills and improving his fitness. Soon, Galatasaray legend Bülent Ünder discovered Emre. Ünder was a close friend of Galatasaray's manager, Fatih Terim. He believed Emre would become a big star in Europe.
Time at Galatasaray
Emre officially joined Galatasaray. He played his first senior game for the club in the 1996–97 season when he was only sixteen. The next year, he became a regular player.
By the age of 21, he had won four Süper Lig titles, two Turkish Cups, one UEFA Cup, and one UEFA Super Cup. He also played in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid in April 2001.
Moving to Inter Milan
In 2001, Emre moved to Inter Milan in Italy. In the 2002–03 season, he won the Pirata d'Oro (Golden Pirate) award. This award is given to Inter Milan's best player of the year. Inter reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that year. However, Emre faced many injuries, which limited his playing time.
Playing for Newcastle United
On 19 July 2005, Emre joined Newcastle United in England. He signed a five-year deal. He made his first appearance on 3 August. In his fourth game, he scored a winning goal with a free kick against Sunderland.
Injuries continued to affect Emre's time at Newcastle. He played in 35 Premier League games over two seasons, scoring three goals.
First Time at Fenerbahçe
In July 2008, Emre joined Fenerbahçe. He said he had always been a Fenerbahçe fan, which was confirmed by former teammates. After a tough first season, he played very well in the next. He was named the Süper Lig player of the year for the 2009–10 season. His experience and fighting spirit helped his team a lot.
Short Spell at Atlético Madrid
Emre moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain on 29 May 2012. Atlético Madrid had just won the Europa League. He signed a two-year contract and was welcomed by his fellow Turkish player, Arda Turan. He made his debut on 1 September 2012 in the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea. Atlético won that game 4–1.
Returning to Fenerbahçe
Emre returned to Fenerbahçe on 31 January 2013. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. His first match back was against Sivasspor.
Time at İstanbul Başakşehir
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Emre joined İstanbul Başakşehir for two years before the 2015–2016 season. Before the 2018–19 season, he announced he would retire at the end of that season. However, he decided to play one more time for Fenerbahçe, his childhood club.
Final Spell at Fenerbahçe and Retirement
On 2 July 2019, he signed a one-year contract with Fenerbahçe. On 19 August 2019, he played his first game back for Fenerbahçe after four seasons. He wore the captain’s armband and scored a penalty goal.
On 25 July 2020, he played the very last match of his career. Fenerbahçe won 3–1 against Çaykur Rizespor. He scored a penalty goal in the 39th minute, saying goodbye to his playing career with a goal at Kadıköy. He retired from football after this season.
International Career for Turkey
Emre made his first international appearance for the Turkey national team against Norway in 2000. He became a regular player for Turkey.
He was part of the Turkish squad that finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2008. An injury kept him out of the rest of that tournament, but Turkey still reached the semi-finals. On 7 September 2019, Emre played his 100th match for Turkey against Andorra.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Emre Belözoğlu became the director of football for Fenerbahçe on 28 October 2020. He was in charge of player transfers for the 2020–21 season.
Interim Manager at Fenerbahçe
On 25 March 2021, Fenerbahçe's manager left the team. Emre Belözoğlu agreed to be the interim coach for the last 10 matches of the season. His first game as manager was a 1–0 win against Denizlispor. This was his very first match as a coach. Fenerbahçe finished third in the league that season. Emre's record as interim manager was 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in 10 matches. On 1 June 2021, Fenerbahçe announced that Emre would not continue as manager.
Coaching İstanbul Başakşehir
On 4 October 2021, Emre signed a two-year contract to manage İstanbul Başakşehir. This was the team he had captained for four years as a player. His first match as their manager was a 3–2 home win over Beşiktaş. He left the club on 6 September 2023.
Managing Ankaragücü
On October 5, 2023, he signed a contract with Ankaragücü. This is one of the oldest clubs in Turkey, located in the capital city. He left the club at the end of the season.
Playing Style
Emre Belözoğlu was a very flexible midfielder. He could play in the middle of the field, as an advanced player who creates chances, or even on the left side. He was known for his great technical skills, smart understanding of the game, and excellent passing ability.
Personal Life
Emre Belözoğlu is fluent in Turkish, English, Italian, and Spanish. He is also a cousin of the Turkish folk singer Volkan Konak.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Galatasaray | 1996–97 | 1.Lig | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | 1.Lig | 23 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | 1.Lig | 27 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 4 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 1.Lig | 24 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | — | 41 | 6 | |||
| 2000–01 | 1.Lig | 27 | 5 | 3 | 5 | — | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 10 | ||
| Total | 102 | 14 | 21 | 7 | — | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 152 | 22 | |||
| Inter Milan | 2001–02 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Serie A | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | — | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | Serie A | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 79 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 5 | |||
| Newcastle United | 2005–06 | Premier League | 20 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| Total | 58 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 80 | 6 | |||
| Fenerbahçe | 2008–09 | Süper Lig | 25 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | — | 40 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 25 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Süper Lig | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 6 | |||
| 2011–12 | Süper Lig | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | |||
| Total | 103 | 12 | 16 | 0 | — | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 141 | 16 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2012–13 | La Liga | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |
| Fenerbahçe | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 28 | 6 | |||
| Total | 56 | 14 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 14 | |||
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2015–16 | Süper Lig | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 27 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 36 | 6 | |||
| 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | — | 35 | 5 | |||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 104 | 11 | 9 | 1 | — | 15 | 3 | — | 128 | 15 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2019–20 | Süper Lig | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 531 | 60 | 61 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 114 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 717 | 81 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 2000 | 4 | 1 |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 101 | 9 | |
- Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Emre goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 September 2000 | Istanbul, Turkey |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 June 2002 | Incheon, South Korea |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 20 November 2002 | Pescara, Italy |  Italy |
1–1 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 17 November 2007 | Oslo, Norway |  Norway |
1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 5 | 10 September 2008 | Istanbul, Turkey |  Belgium |
1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 9 September 2009 | Zenica, Bosnia Herzegovina |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 11 August 2010 | Istanbul, Turkey |  Romania |
2–0 | Friendly | |
| 8 | 10 August 2011 | Istanbul, Turkey |  Estonia |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 11 September 2012 | Istanbul, Turkey | Estonia |
1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Record
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Fenerbahçe (interim) |  |
25 March 2021 | 31 May 2021 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 10 | +8 | 70.00 |
| İstanbul Başakşehir | |
3 October 2021 | 3 September 2023 | 90 | 46 | 23 | 21 | 142 | 90 | +52 | 51.11 |
| Ankaragücü | |
3 October 2023 | 31 May 2024 | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 31.58 |
| Antalyaspor | |
14 January 2025 | present | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 30 | −12 | 30.00 |
| Total | 158 | 71 | 44 | 43 | 231 | 176 | +55 | 44.94 | |||
Awards and Achievements
Galatasaray
- 1.Lig: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
- Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–2000
- Turkish Super Cup: 1997
- UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
- UEFA Super Cup: 2000
Inter Milan
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05
Newcastle United
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2010–11, 2013–14
- Turkish Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Turkish Super Cup: 2009, 2014
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Super Cup: 2012
Turkey National Team
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2002
- UEFA European Championship semi-final: 2008
Individual Awards
- FIFA 100 (one of the 125 greatest living footballers)
- Pirata d'Oro (Inter Milan Player of the Year): 2003
Special Recognition
- Turkish State Medal of Distinguished Service
See also
In Spanish: Emre Belözoğlu para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
