Bülent Korkmaz
Galatasaray's 'Büyük Kaptan' and one-club legend.
Bülent Korkmaz (born 24 November 1968), colloquially known by his given nicknames "Büyük Kaptan" and "Cengaver", is a Turkish football coach and former professional player. He played as a centre-back for Galatasaray for his whole career for 18 consecutive seasons between 1987 and 2005, winning 8 Süper Lig, 6 Turkish Cup, 5 Turkish Super Cup, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cup titles. He has 102 senior caps for the Turkey national team.
- full_name
- Bülent Korkmaz
- position
- Centre-back
- club_era
- 1987–2005 (Player)
- major_honours
- UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, 8 Süper Lig Titles, 6 Turkish Cups, 5 Turkish Super Cu
- status
- Retired Legend / Club Icon
- nickname
- Büyük Kaptan (Great Captain), Cengaver (Warrior)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Korkmaz started his career at Galatasaray Futbol Akademisi as a goalkeeper in 1979, changing to defender on his youth coach's advice. He was offered a professional contract by Bayer Leverkusen at age 16 but chose to stay at Galatasaray, being promoted to the senior squad in 1987. During the 2000 UEFA Cup Final, he dislocated his shoulder but continued after physio treatment, and Galatasaray won. The injury caused him to miss UEFA Euro 2000. He was part of the Turkey squad that finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and third at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, and also represented Turkey in EURO 96.
In Their Own Story
The 2000 UEFA Cup Final in Copenhagen was a battle of wills. With Galatasaray locked in extra time against Arsenal, Bülent Korkmaz felt his shoulder pop out of its socket. Pain shot through his arm, but the Great Captain waved off the stretcher. After quick treatment on the pitch, he returned to the heart of defense, organizing his teammates and clearing every ball that came near. When the final whistle blew, Galatasaray had won the cup. Korkmaz had played through agony for the club he loved. That shoulder injury, however, forced him to miss the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament—a sacrifice he made without regret.
Reader's Guide
Korkmaz's coaching career includes assistant manager at Gençlerbirliği S.K. (2005), head coach at Kayseri Erciyesspor (2007, reaching Turkish Cup final but relegating), Galatasaray (2009, sacked after 7 wins in 15 games), Karabükspor (2011, avoiding relegation and reaching Turkish Cup semi-finals), İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (2012, relegated and contract terminated in 2013), and a return to Antalyaspor on 26 June 2026.
Did You Know?
- Korkmaz was a one-club man for Galatasaray, playing 18 consecutive seasons from 1987 to 2005.
- He dislocated his shoulder during the 2000 UEFA Cup Final but played on, missing UEFA Euro 2000 due to the injury.
- His younger brother Mert Korkmaz also played for Galatasaray and earned 5 caps for Turkey.
- He was invited to play in a FIFA XI squad against a Japan & Korea XI at the World Dream Soccer exhibition on 3 January 2001.
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