Celaleddin Koçak

Celaleddin Koçak — Biography

Celaleddin Koçak is a former footballer who grew up in Berlin and built his career in Turkey; a left-sided player who could alternate between defense and midfield, he stood out for his power and pace. His best spell came at Malatyaspor, where he scored twice in the UEFA Cup, and then at Trabzonspor, where the team finished second in the league.

He began in 1987 in the youth side of the neighborhood club BSC Kickers 1900, moved four years later to Türkiyemspor Berlin and two seasons after that to Tennis Borussia Berlin. He turned professional there but got few games, and like many young Turks in Germany he tried his luck in Turkey. In December 1999 he went to Altay together with his teammate Faruk Namdar, and six months later moved with him to MKE Ankaragücü, entering the Süper Lig. In 2002 he joined Diyarbakırspor and helped the team win promotion to the top flight.

He joined Malatyaspor in the summer of 2003 and scored twice away to FC Basel on October 15, 2003. The next year he moved to Trabzonspor with coach Ziya Doğan and was part of a second-place finish in his first season. After problems with a new coach he was left out of the squad, his contract was terminated on January 12, 2008, and he went on to play for Manisaspor and Konyaspor. He ended his career in 2009-10 at his former club Diyarbakırspor. He won three caps: for the under-21s against Romania on February 18, 1998, and for Turkey's A2 team against Scotland on December 10, 2003.