Okan Buruk

Okan Buruk — Biography

Okan Buruk, born in Istanbul on 19 October 1973, is one of the defining figures of Turkish football over the past quarter-century, having won seven Süper Lig titles as a player and five more as a manager, making him the most decorated figure in the league's history. A midfielder who came through Galatasaray's youth academy and spent a decade with the club, he also played for Inter, Beşiktaş, a second spell at Galatasaray, and İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor; with Galatasaray he won seven league titles, five Turkish Cups and, in Europe, the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup, being named man of the match in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup final win over Real Madrid. He won 56 caps for Turkey, appeared at UEFA Euro 2000, and was part of the squad that took bronze at the 2002 World Cup.

Buruk began his coaching career by winning a Turkish Cup with Akhisar Belediyespor, then guided İstanbul Başakşehir to their first Süper Lig title in the 2019-20 season, becoming the last manager to win the league with a club outside Turkey's traditional "big four". He has managed Galatasaray since the summer of 2022, leading the club to consecutive championships and setting several league records for winning streaks and points totals along the way; as of July 2026 he remains in charge of the club and its transfer planning.