Serdar Tasci facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Serdar Tasci

Tasci playing for Spartak Moscow in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Serdar Tasci
Date of birth	(1987-04-24) 24 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Esslingen, West Germany
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
1993–1997	SC Altbach
1997–1999	Stuttgarter Kickers
1999–2005	VfB Stuttgart
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	VfB Stuttgart II	30	(2)
2006–2013	VfB Stuttgart	181	(9)
2013–2018	Spartak Moscow	74	(2)
2016	→ Bayern Munich (loan)	3	(0)
2019	İstanbul Başakşehir	4	(0)
Total		292	(13)
International career
2006	Germany U19	3	(0)
2007	Germany U20	1	(0)
2007	Germany U21	1	(0)
2008–2010	Germany	14	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Serdar Tasci (born on April 24, 1987) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.

Tasci started his career with VfB Stuttgart in 2006. He played there until 2013 and became the team captain in 2011. He played 181 games for Stuttgart and helped them win the 2006–07 Bundesliga title. Later, he moved to Spartak Moscow. He also played 14 times for the German national team between 2008 and 2010. This included playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Germany finished in third place.

Club Career Highlights

Starting with VfB Stuttgart

Serdar Tasci was born in Esslingen, Germany. His parents were from Artvin, Turkey. He began playing football at six years old. He played for youth teams like SC Altbach, Stuttgarter Kickers, and VfB Stuttgart.

Before the 2005–06 season, he joined Stuttgart's second team. He played in the Regionalliga, which was the third division. He had already helped VfB win youth championships in 2004 and 2005.

First Team Debut and Bundesliga Title

For the 2006–07 season, Tasci joined Stuttgart's main team in the Bundesliga. He made his first professional appearance on August 20, 2006. This was in a 3–2 win against Arminia Bielefeld. A week later, he scored his first goal against Borussia Dortmund.

He scored again on October 29, 2006, in a 3–0 win over Schalke 04. Soon after, he signed a contract with the club until 2010. Tasci played as a right-back or centre-back. He helped VfB Stuttgart win their first Bundesliga title in 15 years. This happened after they beat Energie Cottbus 2–1 in the final game.

Tasci celebrating with the Meisterschale, the German championship trophy.

Continued Success and Captaincy

In the 2007–08 season, Tasci continued to play well for Stuttgart. He made his Champions League debut, but Stuttgart lost 2–1 to Rangers. He scored his first goal of that season against Hamburger SV.

For the 2008–09 season, Tasci played alongside Khalid Boulahrouz in defense. He scored his first European goal in a UEFA Cup match against Győri ETO. In April 2009, he scored his first league goal of the season against VfL Bochum.

At the start of the 2009–10 season, Tasci returned from injury. He captained the team for the first time in a 4–2 win against SC Freiburg. In September 2009, he scored his first Champions League goal against Unirea Urziceni. He signed a new contract with Stuttgart until 2014.

Tasci playing for Stuttgart in 2010.

In the 2010–11 season, other big clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus were interested in signing him. However, Tasci decided to stay at Stuttgart. He scored his first goal of the season in the Europa League group stage against Young Boys.

In January 2012, Tasci was named the new captain of VfB Stuttgart. He scored three goals during the 2011–12 season. Before the 2012–13 season, clubs like Barcelona and Milan were reportedly interested in him. He remained captain for Stuttgart. In November 2012, he scored his first goal in the Europa League against Steaua București. This helped the club move to the next stage.

His last game for VfB Stuttgart was at the start of the 2013–14 season. He got injured during a match against Mainz 05.

Moving to Spartak Moscow

First Seasons in Russia

On August 30, 2013, Tasci joined Russian Premier League team Spartak Moscow. He said it was a difficult decision to leave Stuttgart. He had spent many years there, starting in youth teams and becoming captain.

His debut for Spartak Moscow was delayed because of the injury he had from Stuttgart. He finally played his first game on March 17, 2014. It was a 2–2 draw against Anzhi Makhachkala.

Tasci in action for Spartak Moscow against Zenit in May 2015.

In the 2014–15 season, Tasci became a regular player for Spartak Moscow. He scored his first goal for the club on November 2, 2014. It was in a 3–3 draw against Kuban Krasnodar.

Tasci in action for Spartak Moscow against rivals' CSKA Moscow in August 2014.

He started the 2015–16 season well, scoring in the first game against FC Ufa. He also helped the team keep three clean sheets in the next three matches. In September 2015, he scored his second goal for Spartak in a Russian Cup game.

Loan to Bayern Munich

On February 1, 2016, Tasci moved back to the Bundesliga. He joined Bayern Munich on loan for the rest of the season. This happened because Bayern had many injured defenders.

However, his time at Bayern was short. He suffered a concussion in training. He made his debut on February 20, 2016, in a 3–1 win over Darmstadt 98. He played only three games for Bayern Munich. Bayern won the league that season. Tasci later said he regretted joining Bayern because he did not play much.

Return to Spartak and League Title

Tasci in action for Spartak Moscow against Lokomotiv Moscow in 2017.

For the 2016–17 season, Tasci returned to Spartak Moscow. He played regularly at the start of the season. In December 2016, he got a knee injury. Despite interest from other clubs, Tasci stayed with Spartak. He wanted to help them win the league.

He returned to play in March 2017. He helped Spartak win their first league title in fifteen years. This happened after they beat Tom Tomsk 1–0.

Tasci in action for Spartak Moscow in a UEFA Champions League match against NK Maribor on November 21, 2017.

In the 2017–18 season, Tasci had a toe injury during pre-season training. He returned in August 2017 and helped his team win against Arsenal Tula. He later had a thigh injury. Tasci's contract with Spartak Moscow ended on June 30, 2018, and he left the club.

Joining İstanbul Başakşehir

On January 5, 2019, Tasci joined İstanbul Başakşehir in Turkey. He said it was a dream to play in Turkey.

He made his debut in the Turkish Cup in a 1–0 win over Hatayspor. On February 18, 2019, he played his first league game for Başakşehir. It was a 1–0 win against Antalyaspor.

International Career

Serdar Tasci could play for either Germany or Turkey because of his background. In October 2006, he chose to play for Germany. He said that the German coach, Joachim Löw, made the most effort to have him join the team.

Youth Teams

Tasci played for Germany's youth teams. On September 12, 2005, he made his debut for the Germany U19 team. He played three games for them.

In August 2006, he played his only game for the Germany U20 team. In February 2007, he made his only appearance for the Germany U21 team.

Senior National Team

In August 2007, Tasci was called up to the German senior team for the first time. He made his official debut on August 20, 2008. This was in a friendly match against Belgium, which Germany won 2–0.

He was part of the German squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He was one of two players of Turkish background in the team. Tasci played in Germany's third-place match against Uruguay. He came on as a substitute in the last minute of the game.

Tasci hoped to play for the national team again, but he did not make any more appearances for Germany after 2010.

Personal Life

While playing for Stuttgart, Tasci left school in February 2007. He had planned to study sports management later. His mother, who was a teacher, wanted him to finish school. His father, however, wanted him to be a footballer. Tasci said he studied well and made both his parents proud. He decided to become a footballer. His father later became his agent.

Tasci is a devout Muslim. He speaks German and Turkish. He also learned Russian during his time in Moscow. He has one sister.

In June 2007, Tasci visited his parents' hometown, Artvin, in Turkey. He received an award there from the Yusufeli Sports Club.

Career statistics

Club

• 1.Includes DFB-Pokal and Russian Cup.
• 2.Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League.

International

Honours

VfB Stuttgart

• Bundesliga: 2006–07

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2015–16
• DFB-Pokal: 2015–16

Spartak Moscow

• Russian Premier League: 2016–17
• Russian Super Cup: 2017

See also

In Spanish: Serdar Taşçı para niños