Ragıp Başdağ

Ragıp Başdağ — Biography

Ragıp Başdağ is a defensive midfielder from Trabzon who played for many Anatolian clubs and had his best years at Kayserispor. He is remembered as an unshowy team player who, despite playing hard, picked up few red cards. He ended his playing career in early 2018 and then moved into assistant coaching.

Coming through Trabzonspor's youth system, he reached the first team in 1997 but made only two appearances in 1997-98. He was loaned out to Orduspor and then Mersin İdman Yurdu for match practice; when Trabzonspor no longer counted on him his contract was dissolved, and he joined Akçaabat Sebatspor on a free transfer, where he was a regular for three years. In 2003 he was suspended from football for six months over a doping offence. After returning he joined Sakaryaspor and in 2005 signed a one-year deal with Galatasaray, moving to Kayserispor the same season. At Kayserispor he became a key midfielder, made his first European appearances in the UI Cup and UEFA Cup, and won the Turkish Cup in 2007-08. After leaving the club in 2009 he played for Eskişehirspor, Denizlispor and Kayseri Erciyesspor, winning the 1. Lig title with Erciyesspor in 2012-13. He moved to Ankaraspor, which became Osmanlıspor in 2014, and in 2014-15 finished runner-up in the league and was promoted to the Süper Lig.

After Balıkesirspor and Anadolu Selçukspor he retired from playing. He has worked as an assistant coach at Pendikspor, Manisa FK and Esenler Erokspor.