Tugay Kerimoğlu

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Tugay Kerimoğlu

Kerimoğlu in 2013
Personal information
Full nameTugay Kerimoğlu
Date of birth (1970-08-24) 24 August 1970
Place of birthTrabzon, Turkey
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionCentral Midfielder
Youth career
1983–1987Galatasaray A2
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1987–1999Galatasaray279(34)
1999–2001Rangers42(4)
2001–2009Blackburn Rovers233(11)
Total554(49)
National team
1986–1987Turkey U1613(1)
1987–1988Turkey U188(0)
1988–1991Turkey U2120(3)
1992–2006Turkey94(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Tugay Kerimoğlu (born 24 August 1970) is a Turkish former footballer who played the majority of his career for Galatasaray and Blackburn Rovers. Primarily a deep-lying playmaker in midfield, he was also competent as an attacking midfielder or playing in the holding role. Continually recognised for his ability he was highly rated in the football industry. In 2000, former Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi rated him as one of the finest ball-playing midfielders in Europe,[1] and in 2006, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that if he were ten years younger, Tugay's ability would make him an ideal player for the Old Trafford team.[2] When Tugay's manager at the time, Mark Hughes, was asked if he too wished Tugay was ten years younger, his answer was "No, because if he was, he'd be playing in a Barcelona shirt."[3] He was the coordinator of the Galatasaray youth academy, after a short spell working with Mark Hughes at Manchester City. Currently, he is the assistant coach to Roberto Mancini at Galatasaray.

Playing career

Early years

He played for Galatasaray from 1987 to 2000, where he won the Turkish League six times and the Turkey Cup four times. The midfielder was made captain at Galatasaray in the 1992–93 season, making him the youngest captain in the history of his club. He had signed for Scottish club Rangers in the January 2000 mid season transfer window, and joined Blackburn Rovers for the 2001–02 season.[4]

Blackburn Rovers

Former boss Graeme Souness brought Tugay to Ewood Park from Scottish side Rangers F.C. in the summer of 2001 for a £1.3m fee. His debut for Rovers was as a substitute against Sunderland. His first goal came on 14 October 2001 in a 7–1 home thrashing against West Ham United in which he scored with a trademark effort from outside the box, lobbing the keeper. Tugay immediately became a fan favourite at Blackburn, where he has been an integral part of the club's success on the field since his first season. Unfortunately he missed Blackburn's League Cup final win in 2002 through suspension. Tugay was named Blackburn's Player of the Year in the 2003–04 campaign. Tugay retired from football on 24 May 2009. His last game was against West Bromwich Albion at home at Ewood Park in a capacity of about 28,389 adoring fans, for both Blackburn and West Brom whilst applauding Tugay during the match once he went off as a substitute in the 85th minute to be replaced by Swedish left back Martin Olsson. He made a name for himself at Blackburn F.C when he struck several long-range efforts. His final career goal came against Portsmouth in a 3–2 Premier League defeat at Fratton Park on 30 November 2008. 98 days on from his 38th birthday, it made him the fourth oldest player ever to score a goal in the Premier League. [5]

International career

Tugay has represented Turkey at Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Turkey finished in the quarter finals of Euro 2000 and third place in the 2002 World Cup. He retired from international football in 2003 after Turkey failed to qualify for Euro 2004. His last match was on 5 June 2007 in a friendly against Brazil in Dortmund, Germany. He wore number 94 to commemorate his 94 caps for his country.

Playing style

Tugay was a known more as a deep-lying playmaker but could also play a more advanced role. A range of passing from five yards to 50, Tugay has been called a pass-master. He was capable of threatening goal with a sweetly-hit long-range drive.

Managerial career

On 3 June 2009 Tugay began working with his former manager Mark Hughes behind the scenes at Manchester City in a coaching role. He was linked for various assistant positions for the Turkish national team after Fatih Terim's departure, however he became the coordinator for the Galatasaray youth academy in February 2010.

On 21 October 2010, Galatasaray SK announced that Tugay Kerimoglu was assigned for the position of the new assistant coach for Galatasaray, alongside of Gheorghe Hagi.[6] On 22 March 2011, Hagi was sacked following a string of poor results. Tugay refused to become the head coach until the end of the season, saying it would be wrong to accept the position for the head coach right after the sacking of Hagi.[7]

Honours

Turkey Galatasaray

  • Süper Lig – 1988, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999
  • Türkiye Kupası – 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999
  • TFF Süper Kupa – 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997

Scotland Rangers

England Blackburn Rovers

Turkey Turkey

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup League Cup[8] Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Galatasaray 1987–88 402010--70
1988–89 160403010240
1989–90 230102020280
1990–91 1202130--171
1991–92 2632120--304
1992–93 256613050397
1993–94 251250301004312
1994–95 231623070393
1995–96 303603020413
1996–97 3341010--354
1997–98 302713082485
1998–99 222701050342
1999–00 10110--51162
Total 2793450628045340243
Rangers 1999–00 161------161
2000–01 263----70333
Total 424000070494
Blackburn Rovers 2001–02 333----00333
2002–03 371----40411
2003–04 362----20382
2004–05 210----00210
2005–06 271----00271
2006–07 301----71372
2007–08 202----50252
2008–09 291----00291
Total 23311000018125112
Career total 5544950628070470259

International

Turkey national team
YearAppsGoals
199030
199160
199260
199350
199430
199580
1996102
199730
199830
199950
200040
200160
2002160
2003110
200400
200500
200600
200720
Total912

[9]

Personal life

Tugay generally keeps himself out of the media spotlight, and even with very good English and an apparent good sense of humour, he rarely gives an interview, even to his previous club's own radio station (Radio Rovers). Tugay is married to Etkin, a former Galatasaray and Turkish international basketball player. He has two children, named Berke and Melissa. As a youngster, he was also an extremely promising motor racer, competing as high as a Formula 3 level. His prowess as a cook is also revered, and in 2010 he was victorious in the Turkish version of the television programme MasterChef. Tugay describes himself as a Muslim, stating that it's "something which is in my heart and I don't need to express that to other people".[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Tugay Kerimoglu". Mail&GuardianOnline. 13 July 2000. 
  2. ↑ "Ecstasy then agony for Tugay". Soccernet.com. 20 November 2006. 
  3. ↑ "Tugay Kerimoglu: A Turkish Delight, a Blackburn Legend". Bleacher. 23 May 2009. 
  4. ↑ Blackburn To Open Contract Talks With Tugay
  5. ↑ Martin, Clare (9 February 2010). "Goal-den oldies: Kevin Phillips becomes the latest Premier League veteran to hit the net". Daily Mail (London). 
  6. ↑ "Tugay Kerimoğlu Back to Galatasaray". Galatasaray. 28 February 2010. 
  7. ↑ Hagi's coaching spell at GS comes to an end Hurriyet, 25 March 2011
  8. ↑ Includes also Chancellor Cup, President Cup and TSYD Cup
  9. ↑ Tugay Kerimoğlu at National-Football-Teams.com
  10. ↑ Wallace, Sam (20 September 2003). "On the Spot: Tugay Kerimoglu". Telegraph (London). Retrieved 20 September 2003. 

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Erdal Keser		 Galatasaray S.K. Captain
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
Bülent Korkmaz
Preceded by
Lucas Neill		 Blackburn Rovers F.C. Captain
2007–2009 		Succeeded by
Ryan Nelsen
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