Kağan Söylemezgiller

Kağan Söylemezgiller — Biography

Kağan Söylemezgiller is a former footballer, born in Stuttgart, Germany, who took up the game there, spent most of his career in Turkey and played as an attacking midfielder. He holds both Turkish and German citizenship. He was best known in the Süper Lig for his time at MKE Ankaragücü and later played for Kardemir Karabükspor, Çaykur Rizespor and lower-league sides.

He started at SV Fellbach and then came through the youth ranks of TSG Backnang, Stuttgarter Kickers and VfB Stuttgart. From 2008 to 2010 he played for VfL Kirchheim/Teck in German amateur football, and in the middle of 2009-10 he moved to Ankaragücü. He appeared in 11 matches in his first season there. In his second, after Mesut Bakkal became coach, he won a regular place, and that form took him to the Turkey A2 national team: he first wore the A2 shirt in the friendly against Lebanon on June 1, 2011, having never played at any national level before.

Because of Ankaragücü's financial problems he was released under his contract and moved to Kardemir Karabükspor in the 2011-12 winter window. Before the 2013-14 season he signed a two-year deal with Çaykur Rizespor. He later also played for Şanlıurfaspor and Fethiyespor. In an interview in 2011 he put the strength of German football down to tactical discipline.