Veli Kavlak

Veli Kavlak — Biography

Veli Kavlak is a holding midfielder born in Vienna to a Turkish family, who played for the Austrian national team and spent most of his career at Beşiktaş. He won two Süper Lig titles with Beşiktaş and two Austrian league titles with Rapid Wien. After retiring as a player he moved into coaching, first leading Beşiktaş's U-19 side in the youth system and then taking charge of the Turkey U-18 national team, a post he left in July 2026.

He began playing in 1995 at Post SV Wien and soon joined the Rapid Wien academy. He made his first-team debut at 16 and a half, becoming the youngest player to appear for the club since Andreas Ivanschitz, and took his first championship the same season. A second Bundesliga title followed in 2007-08. In 2011 he moved to Beşiktaş. He became a fixture in midfield, and in 2013 he is remembered for the goal he scored against Gençlerbirliği in the last match at the old İnönü Stadium. He extended his contract by four years in 2014. A shoulder injury in March 2015 and later relapses kept him out for long spells, and he shared in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 titles in those circumstances. He left Beşiktaş in 2018.

He played for Austria's youth sides. For the senior national team he made 31 appearances, and in 2012 he scored against Turkey, his family's country of origin, as Austria won 2-0. He speaks Turkish fluently and also holds Turkish citizenship. In December 2014 he drew praise for alerting the referee to an unjust red card against an opponent and getting it withdrawn.