Mert Korkmaz

Mert Korkmaz — Biography

Mert Korkmaz is a former defender of the Galatasaray of the 1990s, known for his fighting spirit and professional approach, who later worked as a coach. He is the younger brother of Bülent Korkmaz, one of Galatasaray's emblematic players. He retired as a player in 2008 and then turned to coaching, moving between assistant and head coaching posts.

He came through the Galatasaray youth system and won three league titles (1992-93, 1993-94, 1996-97), two Turkish Cups (1992-93, 1995-96), the 1993 President's Cup and the 1995 Prime Minister's Cup in the yellow and red. He then played in turn for Kocaelispor, Gaziantepspor and Malatyaspor. In 2006 he moved to İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (today's İstanbul Başakşehir) and hung up his boots there after the 2007-08 season. He won five caps for the senior national team and seven for the under-21 side.

His coaching career began in 2008-09 as an assistant at İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor; he then held the same role at Kocaelispor (2009-11), Kasımpaşa (2011-12) and Torku Konyaspor (2012-13). On 31 December 2013 he took charge of Yeni Malatyaspor. In later years he coached Tarsus İdman Yurdu and Nevşehir Belediyespor, and was also an assistant at Ümraniyespor.