Ersun Yanal

Ersun Yanal — Biography

Kazım Ersun Yanal was born on 17 December 1961 in the Buca district of İzmir. A 1984 graduate of Manisa Celal Bayar University, he began playing football at Denizlispor and went on to feature for Şirinköyspor, Sarayköyspor, Manisaspor and Nazillispor before turning to coaching with Sarayköyspor in 1990.

After spells at Denizlispor and Yeni Salihlispor, he took over Ankaragücü in 2000 and led the club to high league finishes. With Gençlerbirliği he reached the fourth round of the UEFA Cup, eliminating Blackburn Rovers, Sporting CP and Parma, and twice finished as Turkish Cup runner-up in 2003 and 2004. Between 2004 and 2005 he coached the Turkish national team. He later managed Manisaspor, Trabzonspor and Eskişehirspor, guiding the latter to a fifth-place league finish in 2011-12 and European qualification.

Appointed at Fenerbahçe in 2013, he won his only league championship in the 2013-14 season, clinching the title with several matches to spare. His second stint at the club ended in March 2020, and he subsequently managed Antalyaspor and, in 2024, Amedspor. In the summer of 2026 he agreed terms with a new club and returned to the Süper Lig. Renowned for his attacking tactical approach, Yanal was named Turkish Manager of the Year in 2014.