Okan Buruk (, born 19 October 1973) is a Turkish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Süper Lig club Galatasaray. With seven Super League titles as a player and five more as a manager, he holds the record for the most championships in the league's history.
As a midfielder, Buruk enjoyed a successful playing career spanning nearly two decades. He played for prominent clubs, including Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Beşiktaş, and İstanbul Başakşehir. During his time at Galatasaray, he won six Süper Lig titles, four Turkish Cups, and was an instrumental part of the squad that won the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, making Galatasaray the first Turkish team to achieve this milestone. He was also named Man of the Match in Galatasaray's 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup.
Internationally, Buruk earned 56 caps for the Turkey national team. He represented Turkey at UEFA Euro 2000 and was in the squad that won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the nation's best-ever finish in the tournament.
As a manager, Buruk achieved notable success. He guided Istanbul Başakşehir to their first-ever Süper Lig title in the 2019–20 Süper Lig season, becoming only the second manager to achieve this without leading a Big 4 (Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor) team. His managerial success continued with Galatasaray, where he led the team to four consecutive Süper Lig titles in the 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons. Buruk is recognized for his high-tempo pressing football and his player-management skills.
Club career On 1 July 1992, Buruk began his professional football career with Galatasaray, where he played until 30 June 2001. During his nine-year tenure, he won six Süper Lig titles and played a pivotal role in Galatasaray's European successes. He was part of the team that won the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, making Galatasaray the first Turkish club to achieve this milestone. On 25 August 2000, Okan was named Man of the Match in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup, where Galatasaray defeated Real Madrid 2–1.
In 2001, Buruk transferred to Inter Milan. On 26 August 2001, he made his Serie A debut in a match against Perugia, coming on as a substitute for Clarence Seedorf. On 21 October 2001, he provided an assist to Mohamed Kallon in the Milan Derby against AC Milan, although Inter lost 4–2. On 25 September 2002, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a home victory against Ajax. He scored his first goal for Inter on 16 November 2002, in the 89th minute, securing a 2–2 draw in an away match against Roma. Okan played for Inter until 30 June 2004, he was known for his relentless energy and versatility in midfield.
On 21 October 2001, in the derby game against Fatih Terim's AC Milan, Okan made the assist to Mohamed Kallon where Inter lost their home game 4–2 against their rivals. Okan scored his first goal on the 89th minute helping his team to earn a 2–2 draw in an away game against Roma on 16 November 2002. Okan was a non-stop running player with energy; he mentioned that his former coach Hector Cuper yelled at him from the bench that he should stay at his position.
On 1 July 2004, Okan signed with Beşiktaş. During his two seasons with the club, he won the Turkish Cup on 3 May 2006, marking a significant achievement in his career. On 1 July 2006, Okan rejoined Galatasaray on a two-year contract. He was part of the squad that secured the 2007–08 Süper Lig title on 11 May 2008. However, after his contract expired on 30 June 2008, he departed from the club. On 1 July 2008, Okan signed a two-year deal with İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor. He continued to play professionally until his retirement on 22 May 2010, after a friendly match against the Czech Republic in Leipzig.
International career Buruk's international career spanned nearly 18 years, during which he earned 56 caps and scored 8 goals for the Turkey national football team. He made his senior debut on 28 October 1992 in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. Prior to his senior career, he was a prolific youth international, representing Turkey at the U16, U18, and U21 levels, including winning the 1992 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. At UEFA Euro 2000, Buruk secured a place in Turkish football history by scoring the nation's first-ever goal in a UEFA European Championship final tournament, netting a header to equalize in an eventual 2–1 group stage defeat to Italy. He was a key figure in the qualification campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, notably scoring a hat-trick in a 2–0 and 3–0 aggregate period against Moldova. Although he was named in the final squad for the 2002 World Cup, where Turkey achieved a historic third-place finish, his participation was severely restricted by a persistent injury. His only appearance in the tournament came as a substitute in the 76th minute of the 3–2 victory over co-hosts South Korea in the third-place play-off. Buruk officially retired from international football in May 2010. His final appearance was a ceremonial farewell in a friendly match against the Czech Republic national football team held at the Red Bull Arena in the United States. He was substituted off in the 9th minute to a standing ovation, alongside veteran teammate Emre Aşık, marking the end of his tenure as a "Crescent-Star" player.
Managerial career
Assistant of Turkey national team Buruk, who served as Administrative Coordinator of the Turkey national team during the Guus Hiddink era, became assistant coach in November 2011 following Abdullah Avcı's appointment as head coach.
Elazığspor In August 2013, after Abdullah Avcı resigned, Buruk left his position with the national team. On 30 October 2013, he signed a two-year contract with Elazığspor. Starting his managerial role in the 10th week of the league, this was Buruk's first managerial experience. However, after the team was relegated, he resigned on 2 June 2014.
Gaziantepspor In the 2014–15 season, Buruk signed a three-year contract with Gaziantepspor. After finishing the season in mid-table, he terminated his contract by mutual agreement due to disagreements about the next season.
Sivasspor On 26 October 2015, Buruk signed a one-year contract with Sivasspor after Sergen Yalçın vacated the managerial role. Starting in the 10th week, Buruk resigned after achieving 2 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws in 11 matches.
Göztepe On 1 June 2016, Buruk was appointed the head coach of Göztepe, a club competing in the TFF 1. Lig, Turkey's second-tier football league. He signed a three-year contract with the club, aiming to lead them back to the Süper Lig after a prolonged absence. During the 2016–17 season, Buruk managed the team for 33 matches, achieving 15 wins, 7 draws, and 11 losses, resulting in an average of 1.58 points per game. Despite a promising start, the team experienced a series of inconsistent performances, leading to a decline in form. Consequently, Buruk resigned from his position on 22 March 2017, prior to the season's conclusion. Following his departure, Göztepe went on to secure promotion to the Süper Lig via the playoffs at the end of the season.
Akhisarspor On 28 March 2017, Buruk was appointed as the manager of Akhisarspor, signing a 1.5-year contract to succeed Tolunay Kafkas. At the time of his arrival, the club was embroiled in a relegation battle, sitting in 14th place and only one point above the drop zone. Buruk orchestrated an immediate turnaround, leading the team to seven victories in their final nine league matches of the 2016–17 season, ultimately securing a 7th-place finish. The 2017–18 season marked the most successful period in the club's history under Buruk's leadership. While maintaining a stable mid-table position in the Süper Lig, the team embarked on a historic run in the Turkish Cup. In the semi-finals, Akhisarspor achieved a major upset by eliminating Galatasaray; after losing the first leg 2–1 at home, Buruk's side secured a 3–1 victory at the Türk Telekom Stadium to advance on aggregate.
On 10 May 2018, Buruk guided Akhisarspor to their first-ever major trophy by defeating Fenerbahçe 3–2 in the final held in Diyarbakır. Goals from Miguel Lopes, Abdoul Sissoko, and Hélder Barbosa secured the title and earned the club direct qualification for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stages. Despite these achievements, Buruk officially parted ways with the club on 14 June 2018. The departure followed a breakdown in negotiations regarding a contract extension; reports indicated that Buruk sought a significant salary increase and guarantees regarding the transfer budget for the upcoming European campaign, which the club's board declined to meet.
Rizespor On 19 September 2018, Buruk was appointed the head coach of Çaykur Rizespor following the departure of İbrahim Üzülmez. Under his management, the team managed to avoid relegation in the 2018–19 Super League season, showcasing an impressive improvement in form during the second half of the season. On 28 May 2019, Buruk announced his departure from Çaykur Rizespor, citing personal reasons and expressing gratitude for his time at the club. In a heartfelt message shared via Instagram, Buruk thanked the club, players, and supporters for their trust and support, describing his decision to leave as difficult but necessary.
İstanbul Başakşehir On 11 June 2019, Buruk was appointed head coach of İstanbul Başakşehir following the departure of Abdullah Avcı. In the 2019–20 season, Başakşehir adopted the slogan “New Vision, Same Goal.” After being eliminated by Olympiacos in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League play-off, the team competed in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, where they were placed in Group J alongside Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Wolfsberger AC. Despite an initial 4–0 loss to Roma, Başakşehir topped the group with notable wins, including a 3–0 victory over Wolfsberg and a dramatic 2–1 away win against Borussia Mönchengladbach to secure first place.
In the Round of 32, Başakşehir faced Sporting CP. After losing the first leg 3–1 in Lisbon, Başakşehir mounted a surprising comeback in the second leg in Istanbul, defeating Sporting CP 4–1 after extra time, thanks to a last-minute goal by Edin Višća, to progress 5–4 on aggregate. This victory was seen as a remarkable achievement for the club in European competition.
In the Round of 16, Başakşehir played Copenhagen. They won the first leg 1–0 in Istanbul with a penalty goal from Edin Višća. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, all second-leg matches, originally scheduled for 19 March 2020, were postponed indefinitely. When the competition resumed in August, the second leg in Copenhagen saw Başakşehir lose 3–0, resulting in their elimination with a 3–1 aggregate defeat.
On 19 July 2020, Başakşehir were crowned champions of the Süper Lig for the first time in the club's history under Buruk's management. They became only the sixth club in the competition's history to win the league title and the fourth club from Istanbul to do so.
Following their domestic success, Başakşehir qualified directly for the group stage of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. They were placed in Group H alongside Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, and Manchester United. Despite finishing fourth in the group, Başakşehir secured a historic 2–1 home victory against Manchester United, with goals from Demba Ba and Edin Višća. This win marked a significant milestone for the club.
Buruk mutually terminated his contract with Başakşehir on 29 January 2021, during the 2020–21 season, after a challenging campaign.
Galatasaray
2022–23 season