Hakan Balta facts for kids
Hakan Balta playing for Galatasaray in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hakan Kadir Balta | ||
| Date of birth | 23 March 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Berlin, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back / Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2003 | Hertha BSC II | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2007 | Manisaspor | 116 | (23) |
| 2007–2018 | Galatasaray | 253 | (11) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2016 | Turkey | 50 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020–2022 | Galatasaray (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2025 | Galatasaray U19 | ||
| 2025– | Turkey (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 May 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 October 2015 |
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Hakan Kadir Balta (born on March 23, 1983) is a retired Turkish footballer. He played as a defender, mostly for Galatasaray in the Süper Lig. He left Galatasaray in 2018 after playing for the club for over 10 years.
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Club Career Highlights
Hakan Balta played for Hertha Berlin II and Manisaspor before joining Galatasaray in September 2007. In his first season with Galatasaray, he scored a crucial goal in the very last game. This goal helped Galatasaray win the 2007–08 Süper Lig title.
Becoming a Champion with Galatasaray
The 2011–12 Süper Lig season was a great comeback year for Galatasaray. With a new team and manager Fatih Terim, Hakan Balta played very well. He was one of the few players from the previous season who started almost every game.
In an important match against their rivals Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray was losing. Hakan Balta scored a fantastic goal with his left foot to tie the game. This helped Galatasaray stay at the top of the league. Galatasaray went on to win the championship that season.
Taking on Leadership
After a teammate left the team, Hakan became one of the team captains. On August 12, 2012, he played as captain when Galatasaray won the Super Cup. They beat their rivals Fenerbahçe with a score of 3–2.
He scored his first goal of the 2012–13 Süper Lig season on October 19, 2012. It was against Gençlerbirliği, and his goal helped Galatasaray get a 3–3 draw right at the end of the game.
International Career Highlights
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Hakan Balta first played for the Turkish national team in April 2006. He was called up again for important Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He played the entire game in both matches, which helped Turkey qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament.
During Euro 2008, Hakan was a regular starter in all games. Turkey had an amazing run, winning many games in the last moments. They reached the semi-finals of the tournament. Hakan continued to play for the national team under different managers. He scored one of Turkey's goals in a 3–1 loss to Germany during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches.
Managerial Career
Galatasaray
After retiring as a player, Hakan Balta started a career in coaching. He worked as an Assistant Administrative Director for Galatasaray's main football team. On February 8, 2022, he became the Technical Director for the Galatasaray Under-19 Football Team. He held this position for three years. Galatasaray announced on July 4, 2025, that he had left his role with the Under-19 team.
Turkey National Football Team
On July 4, 2025, it was also announced that Hakan Balta became an Assistant Coach for the Turkish National Team.
Honours
Hakan Balta won many titles during his career:
- Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2017–18
- Türkiye Kupası: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Süper Kupa: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
- Turkey
- UEFA European Championship bronze medalist: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Hakan Balta para niños
