İsmail Ertekin

İsmail Ertekin — Biography

İsmail Ertekin was born on 1 January 1959 in Bursa. He began his football career in the youth ranks of his hometown club Bursaspor, turned professional in 1978 and played for the club until 1982, before going on to represent Kütahyaspor, Boluspor, Sönmez Filamentspor and Bozüyükspor, retiring as a player in 1989.

He moved into coaching in 1992 with Bursaspor's youth academy and, after a brief spell in interim charge of the first team in 1998, went on to manage clubs including Oyak Renaultspor, Turgutluspor, Orhangazispor, Fatih Karagümrük and Bandırmaspor, guiding Bandırmaspor to promotion in the 2009-10 season. Taking charge of Balıkesirspor in December 2012, he won the title and promotion to the 1. Lig in his first season, then led the club to the Süper Lig in 2013-14 by finishing runner-up, ending a 39-year absence from the top flight, before resigning in late 2014 after poor results. Returning to Bandırmaspor in 2016, he won the promotion play-offs before leaving the post mid-season amid a poor run of form.

He managed Sakaryaspor from 2020, then joined Bursaspor in 2022, first as sporting director before being appointed head coach the same year and remaining until 2023. He took charge of Balıkesirspor in 2025; in March 2026 he parted ways with Balıkesirspor.