Okan Buruk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Okan Buruk

Buruk in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Okan Buruk
Date of birth	(1973-10-19) 19 October 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	Istanbul, Turkey
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Galatasaray (manager)
Youth career
1984–1991	Galatasaray
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–2001	Galatasaray	189	(33)
2001–2004	Inter Milan	24	(2)
2004–2006	Beşiktaş	43	(1)
2006–2008	Galatasaray	19	(2)
2008–2010	İstanbul Başakşehir	28	(0)
Total		304	(38)
International career
1989–1990	Turkey U16	5	(0)
1990–1992	Turkey U18	28	(4)
1992–1995	Turkey U21	13	(1)
1992–2010	Turkey	56	(8)
Managerial career
2013–2014	Elazığspor
2014–2015	Gaziantepspor
2015–2016	Sivasspor
2016–2017	Göztepe
2017–2018	Akhisarspor
2018–2019	Çaykur Rizespor
2019–2021	İstanbul Başakşehir
2022–	Galatasaray
Medal record Representing  Turkey Men's football FIFA World Cup Third 2002 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Okan Buruk, born on October 19, 1973, is a very famous Turkish football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Super League club Galatasaray. Many people see him as one of the most important figures in Turkish football in the 21st century. He holds the record for winning the most championships in the Super League, with seven titles as a player and four as a manager.

As a midfielder, Okan Buruk had a fantastic playing career for almost 20 years. He played for big clubs like Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Beşiktaş, and İstanbul Başakşehir. While at Galatasaray, he won six Süper Lig titles and four Turkish Cups. He was also a key player when Galatasaray won the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, which was a huge moment as they were the first Turkish team to do so. He was even named the best player in Galatasaray's 2–1 win against Real Madrid in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup.

Okan Buruk also played 56 games for the Turkish national team. He played in UEFA Euro 2000 and was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This was Turkey's best-ever finish in the tournament.

As a manager, Okan Buruk has also been very successful. He led Istanbul Başakşehir to their first-ever Super League title in the 2019–20 Süper Lig season. He was only the second manager to win the league with a team outside of the "Big 4" clubs (Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor). His success continued with Galatasaray, where he led them to three league titles in a row in the 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 seasons. People know him for his fast-paced, pressing football style and his great skills in managing players.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at Galatasaray

Okan Buruk started his professional football journey with Galatasaray on July 1, 1992. He played there for nine years until June 30, 2001. During this time, he helped Galatasaray win six Süper Lig titles. He was also a very important part of Galatasaray's success in European competitions.

Winning the UEFA Cup

He was part of the team that won the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. This was a historic moment because Galatasaray became the first Turkish club to win such a big European trophy. On August 25, 2000, Okan was named the best player in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup. In that game, Galatasaray beat Real Madrid 2–1.

Time at Inter Milan

In 2001, Okan Buruk moved to Inter Milan in Italy. He played his first game in Italy on August 26, 2001, against Perugia. He scored his first goal for Inter on November 16, 2002, in a game against Roma, helping his team get a 2–2 draw. Okan played for Inter until June 30, 2004. He was known for his endless energy and being able to play in different midfield positions.

Returning to Turkey

On July 1, 2004, Okan joined Beşiktaş. He played there for two seasons and won the Turkish Cup on May 3, 2006. This was another important trophy in his career.

After Beşiktaş, Okan rejoined Galatasaray on July 1, 2006. He signed a two-year contract. He was part of the team that won the 2007–08 Süper Lig title on May 11, 2008. After his contract ended, he left the club. On July 1, 2008, Okan signed a two-year deal with İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor. He played professionally until he retired on May 22, 2010, after a friendly match.

International Career

Okan Buruk played 56 games for the Turkish national team. He represented Turkey in two major tournaments: UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He scored Turkey's first-ever goal in the European Championship at Euro 2000. This goal was the equalizer in a 2–1 loss to Italy.

He was also part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup team. Even though he had an injury, he played as a substitute in the third-place play-off game. Turkey won that match 3–2 against host nation South Korea, earning a bronze medal.

Managerial Career

Okan Buruk started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Turkish national team in November 2011.

Early Managerial Roles

In August 2013, Okan Buruk became the manager of Elazığspor. This was his first time leading a team. He later managed Gaziantepspor (2014–2015) and Sivasspor (2015–2016).

On June 1, 2016, Okan Buruk became the head coach of Göztepe. This club played in Turkey's second-tier league. He managed the team for 33 matches, winning 15 of them. He left the club in March 2017.

Winning the Turkish Cup with Akhisarspor

On March 28, 2017, Buruk took over as manager of Akhisarspor. Under his leadership, Akhisarspor made history on May 11, 2018. They won their first-ever Turkish Cup by beating Fenerbahçe 3–2 in the final. This win also meant Akhisarspor would play in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League for the first time. Despite this big success, Buruk left Akhisarspor because they couldn't agree on a new contract.

Leading Rizespor to Safety

On September 19, 2018, Buruk became the head coach of Çaykur Rizespor. He helped the team avoid being relegated from the Super League season. They showed great improvement in the second half of the season. Buruk left Rizespor on May 28, 2019, for personal reasons.

Champions with İstanbul Başakşehir

On June 11, 2019, Okan Buruk was appointed head coach of Başakşehir. In the 2019–20 season, Başakşehir aimed for a "New Vision, Same Goal." They played in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League and surprised many by finishing first in their group. They even beat Sporting CP in the Round of 32, which was a huge achievement for the club.

On July 19, 2020, Başakşehir won the Süper Lig title for the first time in their history under Buruk's management. They became only the sixth club ever to win the league and the fourth from Istanbul. This success also qualified them for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage. They even had a historic 2–1 home victory against Manchester United. Buruk left Başakşehir on January 29, 2021.

Success with Galatasaray

2022–23 Season

On June 22, 2022, Okan Buruk returned to Galatasaray, this time as the head coach. In his first season, he led Galatasaray to a record-breaking 14 league wins in a row. This was the longest winning streak in the club’s history. Galatasaray won the 2022–23 Super League title two weeks before the season ended. This was Buruk’s second league championship as a manager and Galatasaray's 23rd overall. The team also had the best attack and defense that season.

2023–24 Season

In the 2023–24 season, Galatasaray played in the UEFA Champions League group stage. They finished third in their group, which included Bayern Munich and Manchester United. They had an exciting 3–2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. After the Champions League, they moved to the UEFA Europa League, but their journey ended there.

In April 2024, Galatasaray played their rivals Fenerbahçe in the 2023 Turkish Super Cup final. Fenerbahçe played their Under-19 team as a protest. Galatasaray scored after just 50 seconds, and Fenerbahçe's young players then left the field. Galatasaray was awarded a 3–0 victory and won the Super Cup.

On May 26, 2024, Galatasaray won the 2023–24 Süper Lig title with a 3–1 away victory against Konyaspor. This was their second league championship in a row under Buruk. This win also marked Galatasaray's record-breaking 24th Süper Lig title. During this season, Galatasaray and Okan Buruk broke several records, including the most points in a season (102) and most consecutive wins (17).

2024–25 Season

On June 7, 2024, Okan Buruk signed a new two-year contract with Galatasaray. On August 3, 2024, Galatasaray lost 5–0 to Beşiktaş in the 2024 Turkish Super Cup final. A few weeks later, they were eliminated from the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League play-off round by Young Boys.

Despite these early setbacks, Galatasaray focused on their league campaign. On September 21, 2024, Galatasaray beat their rivals Fenerbahçe 3–1 in the first derby of the 2024–25 Süper Lig season. Galatasaray ended the first half of the season strongly, especially in the Europa League. They also set a new record with 15 consecutive away wins in the league.

On April 2, 2025, Galatasaray won 2–1 against Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Cup quarter-final. On May 14, 2025, they defeated Trabzonspor 3–0 in the final of the Turkish Cup, securing the trophy. Just days later, on May 18, 2025, Galatasaray won the Süper Lig title by beating Kayserispor. This meant Galatasaray were crowned Süper Lig champions for the third season in a row.

Personal Life

Okan Buruk is originally from Akçaabat, Trabzon. He married model Nihan Akkuş on July 3, 2007. Nihan was a former Miss Turkey and Top Model of the World 2003 winner. They had a son named Ali Yiğit in 2009. Their marriage ended in February 2024. Okan's brother, Fuat, was also a professional footballer and is now a coach.

Career Statistics

Club

Source:

International

Source:

Managerial

Honours

Player

Galatasaray

• UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
• UEFA Super Cup: 2000
• Süper Lig: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2007–08
• Turkish Cup: 1992–93, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Turkish Super Cup: 1993, 1996, 1997

Beşiktaş

• Turkish Cup: 2005–06

Turkey

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2002

Individual

• UEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2000

Order

• Turkish State Medal of Distinguished Service

Manager

Akhisarspor

• Turkish Cup: 2017–18

İstanbul Başakşehir

• Süper Lig: 2019–20

Galatasaray

• Süper Lig: 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
• Turkish Cup: 2024–25
• Turkish Super Cup: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Okan Buruk para niños