Background and career
Okan Buruk (Turkish pronunciation: [[oˈkan buɾuk]], born 19 October 1973) is a Turkish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Süper Lig club Galatasaray. With seven Super League titles as a player and five more as a manager, he holds the record for the most championships in the league's history.
As a midfielder, Buruk enjoyed a successful playing career spanning nearly two decades. He played for prominent clubs, including Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Beşiktaş, and İstanbul Başakşehir. During his time at Galatasaray, he won six Süper Lig titles, four Turkish Cups, and was an instrumental part of the squad that won the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, making Galatasaray the first Turkish team to achieve this milestone. He was also named Man of the Match in Galatasaray's 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in the 2000 UEFA Super Cup.
Internationally, Buruk earned 56 caps for the Turkey national team. He represented Turkey at UEFA Euro 2000 and was in the squad that won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the nation's best-ever finish in the tournament.
As a manager, Buruk achieved notable success. He guided Istanbul Başakşehir to their first-ever Süper Lig title in the 2019–20 Süper Lig season, becoming only the second manager to achieve this without leading a Big 4 (Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor) team. His managerial success continued with Galatasaray, where he led the team to four consecutive Süper Lig titles in the 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons. Buruk is recognized for his high-tempo pressing football and his player-management skills.
