Gökhan Inler facts for kids

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Gökhan Inler
Personal information
Inler with Beşiktaş in 2023
Date of birth	(1984-06-27) 27 June 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Olten, Switzerland
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Udinese (technical director)
Youth career
1992–1998	Olten
1998–2002	FC Solothurn
2002–2005	FC Basel
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2005–2006	FC Aarau	25	(3)
2006–2007	FC Zürich	52	(3)
2007–2011	Udinese	141	(6)
2011–2015	Napoli	118	(9)
2015–2016	Leicester City	5	(0)
2016–2017	Beşiktaş	14	(0)
2017–2020	İstanbul Başakşehir	44	(1)
2020–2023	Adana Demirspor	62	(3)
2023–2024	Beşiktaş	0	(0)
National team
2005	Switzerland U21	3	(0)
2006	Turkey U21	1	(0)
2006–2015	Switzerland	89	(7)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 July 2024. † Appearances (Goals).

Gökhan Inler (born on 27 June 1984) is a Swiss former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder. Today, he works as a technical director for the Italian football club Udinese.

Inler started his professional football journey with FC Basel. He then played for FC Aarau and FC Zürich. With FC Zürich, he won the Swiss Super League two times. After playing four seasons for Udinese in Italy's Serie A, he joined Napoli in 2011. There, he won the Coppa Italia twice.

Gökhan Inler played for both the Swiss and Turkish under-21 teams. He joined the Swiss senior team in 2006. He played 89 games for Switzerland and scored seven goals. This makes him the fifth most-capped player for his country. He played for Switzerland in UEFA Euro 2008 and two FIFA World Cups. He was even the captain for Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Gökhan Inler's Club Career Highlights
Gökhan Inler's International Career
Gökhan Inler's Playing Style
Gökhan Inler's Coaching Career
Gökhan Inler's Personal Life
Gökhan Inler's Honours and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Gökhan Inler's Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Inler fighting for the ball in a game against Luzern in 2007.

Gökhan Inler was born in Olten, Switzerland. He began his football career at FC Basel and later moved to FC Aarau. On 20 March 2005, he played his first game in the Swiss Super League. In January 2006, he joined FC Zürich. He helped FC Zürich win the Swiss championship in the 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons.

Playing for Udinese in Italy

First Season with Udinese (2007–08)

In July 2007, Inler moved to Udinese, an Italian club in Serie A. He signed a five-year contract. He scored his first goal for Udinese in a 2–1 win against Torino. On 30 March 2008, he scored his second Serie A goal against Fiorentina. In his first year in Italy, Inler played in all league games. Udinese finished seventh in Serie A, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Cup.

Second Season with Udinese (2008–09)

On the first day of the 2008–09 season, Inler scored a goal and helped Udinese win 3–1 against Palermo. He also scored in a UEFA Cup qualifying game against Borussia Dortmund. Udinese won that game 2–0 and later won on penalties to move forward. Inler played in all four group stage games, helping Udinese finish first. They reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup. Inler scored a great long-range goal against Werder Bremen in the quarterfinals, but Udinese was knocked out.

A Tough Season (2009–10)

The next season was harder for Udinese and Inler. He did not score any goals in 33 Serie A games. Udinese only managed to stay in Serie A on the second-to-last day of the season. Four days later, Inler scored for Switzerland in a friendly game against Italy. This game was part of their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Turning Things Around (2010–11)

Inler and Udinese started the 2010–11 season poorly. However, their luck soon changed. Udinese went on a six-game unbeaten streak, winning four games in a row. Inler helped set up a goal in a 1–1 draw against Cagliari. He also provided an assist in a thrilling 4–4 draw against Milan. Inler scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Cesena. Udinese had not lost in eight games in 2011 and moved up to sixth place. Inler scored again in a 2–1 win against Napoli. Udinese finished fourth in Serie A, earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League.

Moving to Napoli

Inler playing for Napoli in 2013.

Because of his strong performance at Udinese, many clubs wanted to sign Inler. In May 2011, Udinese agreed to sell him to Napoli for €13 million. Inler joined Napoli on 11 July. He was introduced in a unique way, wearing a lion mask and wearing the jersey number 88. He played his first game for Napoli on 10 September.

Inler scored his first goal for Napoli and in the Champions League on 7 December. He scored with a powerful shot in a 2–0 win against Villarreal CF. This win helped Napoli reach the knockout stages of the competition. In the next round against Chelsea, Inler scored a long-range goal. This sent the game into extra time, but Chelsea won in the end. On 25 April 2012, Inler helped Napoli win against Lecce by providing two assists. Later that season, Inler played in the Coppa Italia Final against Juventus. Napoli won 2–0, and Inler won his first trophy with the club. On 3 May 2014, Inler was sent off in Napoli's victory over Fiorentina in the 2014 Coppa Italia Final.

Playing for Leicester City

On 19 August 2015, Inler signed a three-year contract with Premier League club Leicester City. He played his first game three days later. Due to the strong play of other midfielders, Inler only played seven games for Leicester by the end of the year. Because of this, he was not chosen for the Switzerland team for Euro 2016. However, he played enough games to receive a winner's medal when Leicester became 2015–16 Premier League champions.

Time in Turkey

On 31 August 2016, Inler signed a three-year contract with Süper Lig club Beşiktaş in Turkey. After one season, Inler moved to another Turkish club, İstanbul Başakşehir, in the summer of 2017. He left the club on 19 August 2020.

Gökhan Inler's International Career

Inler playing for Switzerland in 2008.

Inler played for the Swiss and Turkish national under-21 teams. He made his debut for the Swiss senior team on 2 September 2006. Inler played in all of Switzerland's games at UEFA Euro 2008. Switzerland was eliminated in the group stage.

Inler was the captain for Switzerland in a 1–0 win against Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also captained the team in a draw against Honduras. After the regular captain retired in 2011, Inler became the official Swiss captain. He played in all four matches as Switzerland reached the last 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was not chosen for the Swiss team for UEFA Euro 2016. This was because he did not play much for Leicester City that season.

Gökhan Inler's Playing Style

Inler was a hardworking and smart midfielder. He could help his team both in defense and attack. He was known for his stamina and how well he moved without the ball. His best skill was his powerful and accurate shots from far away, using both feet. He could also score from free kicks.

Inler usually played as a central or defensive midfielder. He was also good at being a deep-lying playmaker. This means he could control the game from deep in his own half. He had great vision and could pass the ball accurately over long distances. This helped him create chances for his teammates after winning the ball back. He was also good at heading the ball because of his height and strength.

Gökhan Inler's Coaching Career

On 13 June 2024, Gökhan Inler was named the Technical Director for Udinese.

Gökhan Inler's Personal Life

Inler was born and grew up in Switzerland. His parents are from Turkey. He has always been a big fan of Beşiktaş. In an interview, he said that when he was young, he used to visit Beşiktaş's training camps. These camps were close to his childhood home in Switzerland.