Gökhan Inler
Encyclopedia
Gökhan İnler is a Turkish
-Swiss
football player who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A
side Napoli.
, but was later loaned out to FC Schaffhausen
. In the beginning of the 2004–05 season, Turkish champion Fenerbahçe tried İnler and Önder Çengel
in the pre-season training camp program in Germany
and signed a four-year contract with both of them. However, then coach Christoph Daum
declared that both players were not good enough to play for Fenerbahçe. İnler returned to Switzerland
and played for FC Aarau
. On 20 March 2005, İnler made his Swiss Super League
debut in the FC Aarau 2–3 home defeat against Grasshoppers
.
In January 2006, he was signed by FC Zürich and was part of the 2005–06 and 2006–07 Swiss Championship winning team. At the end of the 2006–07 season, the hardman midfielder agreed to a transfer to Serie A
side Udinese despite newly instated Hertha Berlin coach Lucien Favre
's interest in the player.
. He scored in the 52nd minute, taking Udinese 2-0 up at the time. On 30 March 2008, İnler scored his second Serie A goal opening the scoring in a 3-1 win over Fiorentina. İnler also set up striker Antonio Di Natale
for the winning goal later in the match. In İnler's first season in Italy, he started every game providing 2 goals and 2 assists. İnler and Udinese had a very successful season finishing 7th in Serie A and earning a birth in the first round of the UEFA Cup spot.
On the opening day of the 2008-09 Serie A season, İnler scored the third goal of a 3-1 win over Palermo and provided an assist for one of Di Natale's two goals. On 18 September İnler scored in the first leg of a UEFA Cup qualifying round game against Borussia Dortmund
in Germany, that Udinese won 2-0. Udinese lost the home leg 2-0 courtesy of two goals from Tamas Hajnal
, but Udinese won in penalties 4-3, with İnler making his. İnler featured in all four of Udinese's group stage games, as they finished first in their group with 9 points. In the Round of 16, İnler started both legs against reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg, as Udinese won 2-1 on aggregate against the Russians. In the quarterfinal round against Werder Bremen, Udinese lost the first leg 3-1 away from home. But in the second leg, İnler struck early on for the hosts netting a wonderful dipping shot from over 25 yards out. Diego
equalized for the Germans before Fabio Quagliarella
netted twice before the break to bring the aggregate score to 4-4. However two second half goals for Bremen meant that the hosts crashed out at the quarterfinal stage. İnler's goal against Palermo proved to be his only league goal of the season, but he provided three more assists including one in a stunning 6-2 victory over Cagliari
on the final matchday of the season. The win assured that Udinese once again finished 7th in Serie A, this time 5 points behind AS Roma in the last European spot.
Udinese and İnler found the next season much more difficult. The playmaker did not have a successful season following his breakout campaign in the UEFA Cup from the previous year. İnler did not score in 33 Serie A appearances and only provided one assist to Di Natale in a 2-1 loss to champions Internazionale. Udinese only secured their Serie A safety on the penultimate day of the season with a 2-2 draw at Cagliari, which also saw the hosts confirm their Serie A status. Four days later, İnler scored in a 1-1 draw against Italy
in an international friendly in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, with former teammate Quagliarella scoring for the world champions.
to level for the hosts against Cagliari, the game ending in a 1-1 draw on 7 November 2010. Following the winter break, İnler grabbed an assist in Udinese's 2-0 win over Chievo Verona on 6 January 2011. In an enthralling game at the San Siro
the next Sunday, İnler provided Di Natale with one of his goals in a 4-4 draw against eventual champions AC Milan. İnler scored his first goal of the campaign in a 3-0 win over Cesena
. The result meant that Udinese had not lost in 2011, 8 games, and moved up to sixth in the Serie A standings. Udinese drew their next Games against Brescia, before winning their next four, including a 7-0 thrashing of Palermo away from home. In the thirteenth and final game of their unbeaten streak, İnler scored against Catania in a 2-0 win. After finally losing, 2-0 to Lecce
, İnler continued his fine run scoring in a 2-1 win over title chasers Napoli. Udinese drew with Milan on 22 May confirming that they would finish fourth and earn Italy's final Champions League berth, with one game remaining in the season.
that resulted in the Germany
midfielder requiring surgery for a broken collarbone.
. On 2 September 2006, he made his international debut in a friendly against Venezuela
in Basel
. On 16 June 2010 he captained Switzerland against Spain in their group stage match of 2010 FIFA World Cup
, a match which Switzerland won 1-0.
Statistics accurate as of match played 10 October 2011
Turks in Switzerland
Turks in Switzerland are Swiss citizens of Turkish origin. Over the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in the diversity of culture, language and customs in the Swiss population...
-Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
football player who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Napoli.
Early career
İnler started his career at FC BaselFC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
, but was later loaned out to FC Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen is a Swiss football team from the town of Schaffhausen. The club plays in the Challenge League, the second tier of the Swiss football pyramid.-Honours:*Swiss Cup: Final game*Challenge League: 1st*Swiss Super League: rank 8...
. In the beginning of the 2004–05 season, Turkish champion Fenerbahçe tried İnler and Önder Çengel
Önder Çengel
Önder Çengel is a Turkish-Swiss football playerAt the start of the 2004-05 season, Turkish champion Fenerbahçe tried Önder and Gökhan İnler in the season start training camp in Germany, but coach Christoph Daum declared that both players could not play for Fenerbahçe.Although wearing shirt no.7,...
in the pre-season training camp program in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and signed a four-year contract with both of them. However, then coach Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum is a German football coach, currently managing Club Brugge.-Career as a player:Daum began his football career in 1971 in the youth league with Hamborn 07, transferred in 1972 to Eintracht Duisburg and then in 1975 to 1...
declared that both players were not good enough to play for Fenerbahçe. İnler returned to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and played for FC Aarau
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...
. On 20 March 2005, İnler made his Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
debut in the FC Aarau 2–3 home defeat against Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are insects of the suborder Caelifera.Grasshoppers may also refer to:* Grasshopper , a Hong Kong-based musical group* Grasshopper Club Zürich, a Swiss football club...
.
In January 2006, he was signed by FC Zürich and was part of the 2005–06 and 2006–07 Swiss Championship winning team. At the end of the 2006–07 season, the hardman midfielder agreed to a transfer to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Udinese despite newly instated Hertha Berlin coach Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre is a football manager and former Swiss international player. He is the current head coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach.- Playing career :...
's interest in the player.
Udinese
İnler scored his first goal for Udinese in a 2-1 win over Torino F.C.Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
. He scored in the 52nd minute, taking Udinese 2-0 up at the time. On 30 March 2008, İnler scored his second Serie A goal opening the scoring in a 3-1 win over Fiorentina. İnler also set up striker Antonio Di Natale
Antonio di Natale
Antonio Di Natale is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese.A versatile striker with a lethal eye for goal, Di Natale can play anywhere in the front line, as a lone striker or out wide in an attacking trident. He is notable for his dribbling skills, pace and for his ability to...
for the winning goal later in the match. In İnler's first season in Italy, he started every game providing 2 goals and 2 assists. İnler and Udinese had a very successful season finishing 7th in Serie A and earning a birth in the first round of the UEFA Cup spot.
On the opening day of the 2008-09 Serie A season, İnler scored the third goal of a 3-1 win over Palermo and provided an assist for one of Di Natale's two goals. On 18 September İnler scored in the first leg of a UEFA Cup qualifying round game against Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in Germany, that Udinese won 2-0. Udinese lost the home leg 2-0 courtesy of two goals from Tamas Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal is a Hungarian football midfielder currently playing for German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.-Ferencvárosi TC and Dunakanyar Vác FC :...
, but Udinese won in penalties 4-3, with İnler making his. İnler featured in all four of Udinese's group stage games, as they finished first in their group with 9 points. In the Round of 16, İnler started both legs against reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg, as Udinese won 2-1 on aggregate against the Russians. In the quarterfinal round against Werder Bremen, Udinese lost the first leg 3-1 away from home. But in the second leg, İnler struck early on for the hosts netting a wonderful dipping shot from over 25 yards out. Diego
Diego Ribas da Cunha
Diego Ribas da Cunha , commonly known as just Diego, is an international Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid on loan from VfL Wolfsburg, as an attacking midfielder.-Santos:...
equalized for the Germans before Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Juventus and internationally for the Italian national team. He is known for scoring incredible goals from unconventional angles that often catch the goalkeeper by surprise.-Early career:Quagliarella began his...
netted twice before the break to bring the aggregate score to 4-4. However two second half goals for Bremen meant that the hosts crashed out at the quarterfinal stage. İnler's goal against Palermo proved to be his only league goal of the season, but he provided three more assists including one in a stunning 6-2 victory over Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
on the final matchday of the season. The win assured that Udinese once again finished 7th in Serie A, this time 5 points behind AS Roma in the last European spot.
Udinese and İnler found the next season much more difficult. The playmaker did not have a successful season following his breakout campaign in the UEFA Cup from the previous year. İnler did not score in 33 Serie A appearances and only provided one assist to Di Natale in a 2-1 loss to champions Internazionale. Udinese only secured their Serie A safety on the penultimate day of the season with a 2-2 draw at Cagliari, which also saw the hosts confirm their Serie A status. Four days later, İnler scored in a 1-1 draw against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in an international friendly in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, with former teammate Quagliarella scoring for the world champions.
2010-11
İnler and Udinese continued their bad form to start the 2010-11 Serie A campaign, losing four of their first five games. But things quickly started to turn around for each. Udinese went on a streak of six games without a loss, winning four in a row. İnler set up Antonio Floro FloresAntonio Floro Flores
Antonio Mariano Floro Flores is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Udinese Calcio in Serie A.Floro Flores was born in Naples, and started his career at Napoli. He made his Serie A debut on 28 January 2001 against Roma. After six months on loan to Serie A Sampdoria, Floro Flores...
to level for the hosts against Cagliari, the game ending in a 1-1 draw on 7 November 2010. Following the winter break, İnler grabbed an assist in Udinese's 2-0 win over Chievo Verona on 6 January 2011. In an enthralling game at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
the next Sunday, İnler provided Di Natale with one of his goals in a 4-4 draw against eventual champions AC Milan. İnler scored his first goal of the campaign in a 3-0 win over Cesena
A.C. Cesena
Associazione Calcio Cesena is an Italian football club based in Cesena, Romagna. The club was formed in 1940 and won the first promotion to Serie A in 1973. Since then, the club have been in the Italian Premier League for a total of in 11 seasons, reaching the best achievement in 1976 with the 6th...
. The result meant that Udinese had not lost in 2011, 8 games, and moved up to sixth in the Serie A standings. Udinese drew their next Games against Brescia, before winning their next four, including a 7-0 thrashing of Palermo away from home. In the thirteenth and final game of their unbeaten streak, İnler scored against Catania in a 2-0 win. After finally losing, 2-0 to Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
, İnler continued his fine run scoring in a 2-1 win over title chasers Napoli. Udinese drew with Milan on 22 May confirming that they would finish fourth and earn Italy's final Champions League berth, with one game remaining in the season.
Napoli
Because of his good form in Udinese, helping them finish fourth in the 2010-11 Serie A table and securing a Champions League playoff spot, transfer speculation was rife that İnler would be on the move. In May 2011, Udinese agreed a deal with SSC Napoli in a deal for the player worth €13 million. In July, İnler finally agreed personal terms with Napoli and was unveiled on July 11, being presented in an unconventional manner, wearing a lion mask to hide his identity and sporting the jersey number of 88. He mad his Napoli debut in their 3-1 away win at AC Cesena on 10 September. Inler provided an assist for Federico Fernández in a 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the group stages of the Champions League on 2 November. In the same game, he was involved in a challenge with Bastian SchweinsteigerBastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
that resulted in the Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
midfielder requiring surgery for a broken collarbone.
International career
İnler is a member of the Swiss national teamSwitzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. On 2 September 2006, he made his international debut in a friendly against Venezuela
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
. On 16 June 2010 he captained Switzerland against Spain in their group stage match of 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, a match which Switzerland won 1-0.
International goals
| İnler – goals for Switzerland | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 22 March 2007 | Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium is a stadium located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It is currently used by Fort Lauderdale High School, Stranahan High School, Northeast High School and Dillard High School for home high school football games, and previously served as the home of the Florida Atlantic... , Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... , USA |
2-0 | Win | Friendly match | |
| 2. | 3 March 2010 | AFG Arena AFG Arena The AFG Arena is a multi-use stadium in St. Gallen, Switzerland, completed in 2008. It is used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of FC St. Gallen of the Swiss Challenge League. It replaces the Espenmoos stadium.... , St. Gallen St. Gallen St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
1-3 | Loss | Friendly match | |
| 3. | 5 June 2010 | Stade de Genève Stade de Genève Stade de Genève is a stadium in the greater Geneva, Switzerland area . It has a capacity of 30,084.-Overview:The stadium was completed in 2003 by Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three years of construction... , Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
1-1 | Draw | Friendly match | |
| 4. | 12 October 2010 | St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park ' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland... , Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
4-1 | Win | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Udinese Udinese Calcio Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa.... |
|||||||||
| 2007–08 | 37 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 40 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2008–09 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 49 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||
| 37 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2010-11 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 36 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 141 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 162 | 9 | |
| Napoli S.S.C. Napoli Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season.... |
|||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
Statistics accurate as of match played 10 October 2011