Kerem Demirbay

Kerem Demirbay — Biography

Kerem Demirbay is a midfielder of Turkish descent who was born in Germany, made his name in the Bundesliga and later returned to Turkey. His good season at Hoffenheim earned a call-up to the Germany national team, and he was part of the squad that won the 2017 Confederations Cup. He has played in Turkey since 2023 and has worn the Kasımpaşa shirt since January 2026. His nickname is "Dayı".

His youth path began at Schalke 04 and ran through Borussia Dortmund and SG Wattenscheid 09; in 2012 he made his professional debut with Dortmund II in the 3. Liga. At Hamburg he made his Bundesliga debut in 2014, then went on loan to Kaiserslautern and Fortuna Düsseldorf, finishing the season at Düsseldorf with 10 goals and 4 assists. He joined Hoffenheim in 2016, taking the number 10 shirt, and moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2019. At Galatasaray (2023-25) he won two Süper Lig titles, one Turkish Cup and one Super Cup, and scored his first hat-trick against Rizespor. He joined Eyüpspor in 2025 and Kasımpaşa in January 2026.

He chose Turkey at youth level; in 2017 he accepted a Turkey call-up and withdrew it, opting for Germany, and he made his debut against Denmark on June 6. In November 2015, after being sent off at Düsseldorf, he made a sexist remark to referee Bibiana Steinhaus; he apologized and received a five-match ban.