Sergen Yalçın has been appointed as the new head coach of the Türkiye national team. The Turkish Football Federation confirmed the signing of a four-year contract with the former international.
The signing ceremony took place at the Orhan Saka Conference Hall within the Hasan Doğan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities. Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu expressed confidence in Yalçın, calling the appointment a significant step towards building a stronger national side. "Today, we are experiencing the joy and pride of entrusting our national team to a Turkish coach again after five years," Hacıosmanoğlu said. "Sergen Yalçın is one of the most valuable figures produced by Turkish football, known to everyone."
Yalçın becomes the first Turkish coach to lead the national team in five years. He inherits a squad in a difficult period, having lost its last four matches. Those results include a 3-1 defeat to Italy on October 5, a 3-0 loss to Belgium on October 2, a 1-4 home defeat to Italy on September 28, and a 0-1 loss to France on September 25.
YALÇIN'S CAREER
Yalçın earned 37 caps and scored five goals for Türkiye, representing the nation at UEFA Euro 1996 and Euro 2000. He is notable for having played for all four of Türkiye's major clubs: Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Trabzonspor. His managerial career has included spells at several Turkish clubs, including Gaziantepspor, Sivasspor, Kayserispor, Konyaspor, Alanyaspor, Yeni Malatyaspor, and Antalyaspor. His greatest success came in the 2020-21 season when he guided Beşiktaş to a domestic double, winning the Süper Lig and the Turkish Cup. That achievement made him the first person in Beşiktaş history to win the league title both as a player and as a head coach.
Yalçın left Beşiktaş in mid-2025 but returned in August of that year. He led the club to a fourth-place finish in the league and a Turkish Cup semi-final before his contract was terminated by mutual agreement on May 18, 2026.
His first test in charge will be a friendly match against Belgium at home on November 12, 2026. Speaking at the presentation, Yalçın described the moment. "During my playing career, I wore the crescent-and-star jersey many times. I tried to serve with great honor." he said. The new coach emphasized that unity would be essential for the team's success. His appointment was approved by the TFF executive committee. Hacıosmanoğlu revealed that Yalçın was not on any of the six or seven candidate lists prepared prior to the decision. Yalçın, born in Istanbul on November 5, 1972, began his professional playing career at Beşiktaş in 1991. He accepted the role with the understanding that representing the country was an honor in itself. Sergen Yalçın's contract with the Türkiye national team runs for four years.
This story first appeared at dailysabah.com
