Nurullah Sağlam

Nurullah Sağlam — Biography

Nurullah Sağlam is a defender-turned-manager from Gaziantep. He has won the First League title both as a player and as a coach: in 1989-90 with Gaziantepspor and in 2010-11 with Mersin İdmanyurdu. He is still in charge of Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor in 2026.

He began playing at the amateur club Gaziantep Karşıyaka Amatör Spor Kulübü while at middle school and moved to Gaziantepspor in 1984. He later played for Kayserispor, Elazığspor, Edirnespor and İslahiyespor. He graduated from Gaziantep Anadolu Lisesi in 1985 and was studying at the Gaziantep campus of METU and left university unfinished because of his transfer to Kayserispor.

After leaving the pitch he trained as a coach; he holds a UEFA Pro licence and speaks fluent English. He became Gaziantepspor's manager in 2003 and took the team to the third round of the UEFA Cup, beating Fabio Capello's Roma 1-0 in the first leg before losing the second 2-0 and going out. He also worked at Karşıyaka, Denizlispor, Konyaspor and Diyarbakırspor; at Konyaspor in 2006-07 he was let go in the seventh week and in week 21 he returned to Gaziantepspor. He left that post after a run of Süper Lig defeats in 2008-09. On 20 October 2010 he took over Mersin İdmanyurdu, won the league in his first season and signed a three-season contract; he also beat Beşiktaş 1-0 in that job. He left by mutual consent in December 2012 and agreed to join Şanlıurfaspor in 2013.