Serdar Kurtuluş

Serdar Kurtuluş — Biography

Serdar Kurtuluş is a former right back who came out of the Bursaspor academy and won two Süper Lig titles with Beşiktaş, in 2008-09 and 2015-16. The second of those is remembered partly for images of him in tears on the substitutes' bench while Beşiktaş trailed 3-2. He parted ways with Bursaspor in 2018.

Kurtuluş began at Bursaspor, stood out for his defensive qualities and shared in the club's 2005-06 First League title. In 2006 he joined Beşiktaş as part of Jean Tigana's rejuvenation plan; he won the Super Cup in his first official match, took the Turkish Cup the same season and settled in as a regular right back. In 2009 he went to Gaziantepspor in a player-exchange deal, became a mainstay over four seasons, sometimes played as a defensive midfielder and made his mark with goals against Eskişehirspor, Fenerbahçe and Antalyaspor. He returned to Beşiktaş in July 2013 on a three-year contract; although he dropped to the bench after Dany Nounkeu arrived, he shared in the 2016 title. That July he moved to his first club Bursaspor, but injuries and operations marked his final years.

At youth level he represented Turkey at the 2005 Mediterranean Games and played in the final against Spain. He earned his first senior cap against Brazil on 5 June 2007 and wore the national shirt 40 times in all, from the under-18s to the senior side. His brother Serkan Kurtuluş is also a professional footballer.