Mustafa Kaplan

Mustafa Kaplan — Biography

Mustafa Kaplan was born on 2 September 1967 in Kırşehir. He began playing football in the youth system of his hometown club Kırşehirspor, spending most of his career with various 3. Lig and 2. Lig clubs mainly in the Central Anatolia region; he is also recorded as having played for Alanyaspor during his playing days.

After retiring as a player, Kaplan moved into coaching, gaining his first experience as an assistant manager at MKE Ankaragücü in 2003 before taking the same role at Gençlerbirliği. On 26 April 2011 he was appointed interim head coach of Gençlerbirliği following Ralf Zumdick's resignation. In the middle of the 2012-13 season he was named head coach of MKE Ankaragücü but could not prevent the club's relegation from the 1. Lig to the 2. Lig.

In 2013-14 he led Hacettepe to promotion to the 2. Lig, and at the start of 2014-15 he was briefly appointed head coach of Gençlerbirliği again, leaving after just one match. He took charge of Giresunspor in 2016-17, becoming closely associated with the club, and later had another spell as Gençlerbirliği's head coach in the 2020-21 season.