Nihat Kahveci

Nihat Kahveci — Biography

Nihat Kahveci (born 23 November 1979 in Istanbul), known mononymously as Nihat, is a Turkish former international footballer, television pundit and coach. Turkish sources place his birth in the Bağcılar district; standing 1.75 m, he played on the wing and as a forward.

He came through at Beşiktaş before moving to Spain in January 2002, spending about four and a half years at Real Sociedad and three at Villarreal. He scored 75 goals in 195 La Liga appearances and finished the 2002-03 season as the league's second-highest scorer. In June 2009 he returned to Beşiktaş for a reported 5.5 million euro fee. For Turkey he scored 17 goals in 62 caps and was part of the squad that finished third at the 2002 World Cup.

After retiring he obtained a UEFA Pro Licence and works as a football commentator for TRT. On 14 July 2026 Turkish media widely reported that he had been detained over an allegation that he assaulted his wife, Fulya Sever Kahveci, and was released after giving a statement when she did not press charges.