Gökhan Inler facts for kids
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Inler with Beşiktaş in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gökhan Inler | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Olten, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
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) |
| Total | 461 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005 | Switzerland U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2006 | Turkey U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2015 | Switzerland | 89 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gökhan Inler (born on June 27, 1984) is a Swiss former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder, a player who helps both defense and attack. Today, he works as a technical director for the Italian football club Udinese.
Inler started his career at FC Basel and later played for FC Aarau and FC Zürich. He helped FC Zürich win the Swiss Super League championship twice. After playing four seasons with Udinese in Italy's top league, Serie A, he joined Napoli in 2011. With Napoli, he won the Coppa Italia cup competition two times.
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 one of the most capped players for his country. He played for Switzerland in the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament and two FIFA World Cups. He was even the captain for Switzerland in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Contents
Gökhan Inler's Club Journey
Starting His Football Career
Gökhan Inler was born in Olten, Switzerland. He began his football journey at FC Basel and then moved to FC Aarau. On March 20, 2005, he played his first game in the Swiss Super League. In January 2006, he joined FC Zürich. He was part of the teams that won the Swiss championship in the 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons.
Playing for Udinese
First Season in Italy (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 March 30, 2008, he scored his second Serie A goal against Fiorentina. In his first season, Inler played in all league games for Udinese. He scored two goals and helped with two assists. Udinese finished seventh in Serie A, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Cup for the next season.
European Adventures (2008–09)
On the first day of the 2008–09 Serie A season, Inler scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3–1 win over Palermo. He also scored in a UEFA Cup qualifying game against Borussia Dortmund. Udinese won that game 2–0. They later won a penalty shootout to move forward, with Inler scoring his penalty.
Udinese did well in the UEFA Cup, finishing first in their group. They reached the quarter-finals where they played against Werder Bremen. Inler scored a great goal from far away in the second game. Even though Udinese fought hard, they were knocked out of the competition. Inler's goal against Palermo was his only league goal that season, but he gave three more assists. Udinese finished seventh in Serie A again.
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. He only provided one assist. Udinese 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 a warm-up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Strong Comeback (2010–11)
Inler and Udinese started the 2010–11 Serie A season poorly. However, things quickly improved. Udinese went on a great run, not losing for six games in a row. Inler helped his team with an assist in a 1–1 draw against Cagliari. After the winter break, Inler provided another assist in a 2–0 win over Chievo. He also assisted a goal in an exciting 4–4 draw against Milan.
Inler scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Cesena. Udinese continued their amazing form, not losing in 2011 for eight games. They even won 7–0 against Palermo. Inler scored again in a 2–0 win over Catania. After a loss, Inler scored in a 2–1 win against Napoli. Udinese finished fourth in Serie A, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League playoffs.
Time at Napoli
Because of his excellent performance at Udinese, many clubs wanted to sign Inler. In May 2011, Udinese agreed to a deal with Napoli for €13 million. In July, Inler officially joined Napoli. He was introduced in a unique way, wearing a lion mask and wearing the number 88 jersey. He played his first game for Napoli on September 10, in a 3–1 win against Cesena.
Inler provided an assist in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich. He scored his first goal for Napoli and in the Champions League on December 7. This goal helped Napoli win 2–0 against Villarreal CF and move to the knockout stages of the competition.
In the Champions League Round of 16, Inler scored a long-range goal against Chelsea. This goal sent the game into extra-time. However, Chelsea scored a late goal and won the match. On April 25, 2012, Inler provided two assists in a game against Lecce, helping Napoli climb to fourth place in Serie A. 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 May 3, 2014, Inler was sent off (given a red card) in Napoli's win over Fiorentina in the 2014 Coppa Italia Final.
Playing for Leicester City
On August 19, 2015, Inler joined the Premier League club Leicester City. He signed a three-year contract. He made his first appearance three days later in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. Due to the strong performances of other midfielders, Inler played only seven games for Leicester by the end of 2015. Because he didn't play much, he was not chosen for the Switzerland squad for Euro 2016. However, he played enough league games to receive a winner's medal when Leicester City famously won the 2015–16 Premier League championship.
Moving to Turkey
On August 31, 2016, Inler signed a three-year contract with Süper Lig club Beşiktaş in Turkey. After one season at Beşiktaş, Inler moved to another Turkish club, İstanbul Başakşehir, in the summer of 2017. He left the club on August 19, 2020.
Gökhan Inler's International Career
Before playing for the senior Swiss team, Inler played for the under-21 teams of both Switzerland and Turkey. He made his debut for the Swiss senior team on September 2, 2006, in a friendly game against Venezuela. Inler played in all of Switzerland's matches at UEFA Euro 2008, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Inler captained Switzerland in a 1–0 victory against Spain. After the regular captain retired in 2011, Inler became the official Swiss captain. He played all four matches as Switzerland reached the last 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was not included in the Swiss squad for UEFA Euro 2016 because he didn't play much for Leicester City that season.
How Gökhan Inler Played Football
Gökhan Inler was a hard-working 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. One of his best skills was his powerful and accurate shots from long distances, using both feet. He could also score from free kicks.
Inler was mainly a player who won the ball back for his team. He usually played as a central or defensive midfielder. He was also good at creating chances from deep positions because of his vision and passing skills. He could control the pace of the game and switch the play with his long passes. Because of his height and strength, he was also good at heading the ball.
Gökhan Inler's Coaching Role
On June 13, 2024, Gökhan Inler was appointed as the Technical Director for Udinese. This means he now helps manage the football side of the club.
Gökhan Inler's Personal Life
Inler was born and grew up in Switzerland, but his parents are from Turkey. He has always been a big fan of Beşiktaş, a Turkish football club. He once said that when he was young, he used to visit Beşiktaş's training camps, which were close to his home in Switzerland.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Aarau | 2004–05 | Swiss Super League | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2005–06 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 3 | ||||
| FC Zürich | 2005–06 | Swiss Super League | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 54 | 3 | ||||
| Udinese | 2007–08 | Serie A | 37 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| 2008–09 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | — | 49 | 3 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 37 | 1 | |||||
| 2010–11 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 141 | 6 | 9 | 1 | — | 12 | 2 | — | 162 | 9 | ||||
| Napoli | 2011–12 | Serie A | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | — | 49 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 6 | |||
| 2013–14 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | — | 45 | 4 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |||
| Total | 118 | 9 | 13 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 166 | 13 | |||
| Leicester City | 2015–16 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 14 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | ||
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 44 | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | — | 64 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 400 | 22 | 39 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 68 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 512 | 29 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 2006 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 89 | 7 | |
- Scores and results list Templatonia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Inler goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 March 2007 | Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, USA |  Jamaica |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3 March 2010 | AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 June 2010 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Italy |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 12 October 2010 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland |  Wales |
3–1 | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 5 | 7 September 2012 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia |  Slovenia |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| 6 | 11 September 2012 | Swisspor Arena, Lucerne, Switzerland |  Albania |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| 7 | 9 October 2015 | AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland |  San Marino |
2–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
Trophies and Achievements
FC Zürich
- Swiss Super League: 2005–06, 2006–07
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2011–12, 2013–14
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Leicester City
Beşiktaş J.K.
- Süper Lig: 2016–17
- Turkish Cup: 2023–24
İstanbul Başakşehir
- Süper Lig: 2019–20
Adana Demirspor
- TFF First League: 2020–21
See also
In Spanish: Gökhan İnler para niños
