Didem Karagenç

Didem Karagenç — Biography

Didem Karagenç is a defender turned head coach whose career runs from the years when Turkish women's football was relaunched to today. She wore the Beşiktaş shirt from 2015 to 2026 and was the team's captain; on July 18, 2026, she retired as a player and took charge of the club's women's team. She also works as a physical education and sports teacher.

She received her license in 2004 at Sakarya Yenikent Güneşspor, where she stayed until January 2007 with no league being played in the country at the time. When the women's leagues restarted she moved to Gazi Üniversitesi, scoring 32 goals in 70 matches over six seasons and winning three league titles (2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10). In 2012 she joined İzmir's Konak Belediyespor, won the title again in her first season and reached the round of 16 of the 2013-14 UEFA Women's Champions League. In October 2015 she arrived at Beşiktaş, newly promoted to the second tier; the team won the title unbeaten in her first season and went up to the top flight, then won the league in 2018-19 and 2020-21. She also played in the Champions League in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Coming through Turkey's U-17 and U-19 teams, she made her senior national team debut in 2009 against Belarus and played in European Championship and World Cup qualifiers. On August 31, 2026, Beşiktaş held a ceremony for her together with Başak Gündoğdu.