 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Çağdaş Atan | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-02-29)29 February 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | İzmir, Turkey | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Central Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Konyaspor (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Altay | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2001 | Marmaris | 28 | (7) |
| 2001–2003 | Altay | 54 | (4) |
| 2003–2004 | Denizlispor | 30 | (3) |
| 2004–2006 | Beşiktaş | 40 | (2) |
| 2006–2008 | Trabzonspor | 41 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Energie Cottbus | 20 | (2) |
| 2009–2011 | Basel | 44 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Mersin İdman Yurdu | 26 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Akhisarspor | 57 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Gaziantep BB | 13 | (0) |
| 2015 | Manisaspor | 12 | (0) |
| Total | 365 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2004 | Turkey B | 3 | (1) |
| 2004 | Turkey | 2 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020–2021 | Alanyaspor | ||
| 2022–2023 | Kayserispor | ||
| 2023–2025 | Başakşehir | ||
| 2025– | Konyaspor | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Çağdaş Atan (Turkish pronunciation:[ˈtʃaːdaʃˈatan]; born 29 February 1980) is a Turkish former professional footballer and current manager who is serving as the head coach ofKonyaspor. During his playing days, he operated primarily as a central defender.
Atan began his career in the youth ranks ofAltay andMarmaris Belediyespor, before establishing himself in senior football withDenizlispor in the early 2000s. His performances then earned moves to Turkish top-tier sidesBeşiktaş andTrabzonspor. In 2009, Atan signed withBasel in theSwiss Super League, where he won successive league titles and appeared inUEFA Champions League group-stage matches. He later returned to Turkey to play forMersin İdmanyurdu,Akhisarspor,Gaziantep BB, andManisaspor, ultimately retiring from playing in 2015.
Internationally, Atan earned his first cap for theTurkey national team in 2004 and marked the occasion by scoring in a friendly againstCroatia. He also featured for Turkey’s U21 side earlier in his career.[1]
After hanging up his boots, Atan moved into coaching. He started as an assistant manager at Alanyaspor before being promoted to head coach in 2020. He guided the club to a historic 5th-place finish in the2019–20 Süper Lig, securing their first-ever qualification for European competition. In 2022, he took charge ofKayserispor, leading them to respectable mid-table finishes in Turkey’s top division.
Atan’s managerial reputation grew with his move toBaşakşehir in 2023, where he earned a contract extension in May 2025. However, after an underwhelming start to the2025–26 season, the club and Atan mutually agreed to part ways in September 2025.[2]
Atan began his career withAltay before moving toMarmaris, where he signed his first professional contract, in 2000. He returned to Altay in 2001 and played for two seasons. After that, he signed forDenizlispor andBeşiktaş On 1 June 2006, he transferred toTrabzonspor, based in theBlack Sea port city ofTrabzon.
In the summer of 2008 Atan signed a two-year contract with German clubFC Energie Cottbus. But because the team suffered relegateion he stayed with the club just one season. After their relegation Energie Cottbus had made Atan an offer for the2. Bundesliga, but the financial ideas of the two sides were too far apart.[3]
On 25 June 2009 it was announced that Atan had joinedFC Basel on a free transfer.[4] He joined Basel's first team in advance of their2009–10 season under head coachThorsten Fink. After playing in three test games, Atan played hisdomestic league debut for the club in the away game in theKybunpark on 12 July 2009 as Basel won 1–0 againstSt. Gallen.[5] He scored his first goal for his new club in the home game in theSt. Jakob-Park on 20 February 2010. It was the winning goal of the match as Basel won 2–1 againstAarau.[6] Basel joined the2009–10 UEFA Europa League in the second qualifying round. Basel advanced to the group stage, in which despite winning three of the six games the ended in third position and were eliminated. They finished four points behind group winnersRoma and one behindFulham, against whom they lost 3–2 in the last game of the stage. Atan played the full 90 minutes.[7] At the end of the 2009–10 season he won theDouble with his club. They won theLeague Championship title with 3 points advantage over second placedYoung Boys.[8] The team won theSwiss Cup, winning the final 6–0 againstLausanne-Sport.[9]
Basel started in the2010–11 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round and advanced to the group stage, but ended the group in third position. Therefore, they dropped to the2010–11 Europa League knockout phase, but here they were eliminated bySpartak Moscow.[10] Atan played in six of the 10 Champions League matches, scoring a goal in the qualification game against Hungarian teamDebrecen.[11] He also played in 10 of the 18 domestic league matches in the first half of the season, however, in the second half of the season he was no longer considered by head coach Fink. With Basel, Atan won his second Swiss Championship at the end of the2010–11 season.[12]
The club decided not to extend Atan's contract. In his two seasons with the club, Atan played a total of 92 games for Basel scoring a total of four goals. 44 of these games were in theSwiss Super League, five in theSwiss Cup, 16 in theUEFA competitions and 27 were friendly games. He scored one goal in the domestic league, one in the Champions League and the other two were scored during the test games.[13]
On 18 August 2011, it was announced tha Atan had joined the Turkish clubMersin İdman Yurdu, which had been promoted to theSüper Lig in the previous season. After just one season withMersin İdman Yurdu, he left the club and moved within the league to newly promotedAkhisar Belediyespor. Unable to reach an agreement for a contract extension with his club during the summer, Atan moved to the second-tier teamGaziantep BB. However, he leftGaziantep BB during the next mid-season and instead joined league rivalManisaspor. Following the 2014–15 season, he retired from his career.
On 18 February 2004 Çağdaş wore theTurkey national team jersey for the first time in a match againstDenmark.On 31 March 2004, he scored his first national team goal in a friendly match againstCroatia. He also played for theTurkey national under-21 football team 3 times and scored 1 goal.
In 2016 Atan started several tenures as assistant manager underSergen Yalçın in various clubs.[14] In 2020, he had the opportunity to take charge of a football team for the first time and became the head coach ofAlanyaspor. During his tenure, he successfully managed the team, finishing the2020–21 Süper Lig season in 7th place.
On 15 June 2022, he continued his managerial career by signing withKayserispor. In his first season he ledKayserispor to finish theSüper Lig season under his leadership in 9th place. With his football knowledge and managerial abilities, Atan is considered as one of the important figures inTurkish football. In the2023–24 season,Kayserispor made a promising start by securing one win and three draws in their first four matches under the guidance of Atan. However, the team faced a challenge as the transfer window remained closed since the season's commencement. Atan consistently communicated his concerns to the club's board about the team's unaddressed transfer needs. On 6 September 2023 following the closure of the transfer window, Atan officially announced his departure fromKayserispor via a statement posted onsocial media.[15]
On 9 September 2023, AfterEmre Belözoğlu's departure,Başakşehir announced the appointment of Atan as the new manager.[16][17] On 11 September 2023, Atan signed an official contract with a duration of 2+1 years with theBaşakşehir.[18] Atan took charge of a team facing significant challenges, as they were positioned at the bottom of the league table in 19th place and had not recorded any wins at the time of his appointment.
Despite this difficult start, Atan implemented strategic changes and effectively motivated the squad, leading to a remarkable turnaround in the team's performance. By the end of the season,Başakşehir finished in 4th place in theleague, demonstrating Atan's managerial capabilities. This impressive rise not only secured the team a spot in theUEFA Conference League second qualifying round but also marked a successful campaign, laying a foundation for future growth.
In the2024–25 season, Atan ledBaşakşehir intoEuropean competitions for the second consecutive year. The club successfully advanced through theUEFA Conference League qualifying rounds, defeatingLa Fiorita (10–1 aggregate),Iberia 1999 (3–0 aggregate), andSt Patrick’s Athletic (2–0 aggregate), reaching theleague phase. Despite a strong start,Başakşehir struggled in the league phase, finishing 26th overall. Domestically, the team secured 5th place in theSüper Lig with 54 points, earning another shot at European qualification. In theTurkish Cup, Başakşehir competed in Group C, finishing 3rd behindKonyaspor andGalatasaray, although level on points and goal difference withGalatasaray, they narrowly missed out on progression due to the fair play rule, having received one more yellow card.
Atan’s second season demonstrated his consistency in guiding the club toEuropean stages, while also reinforcing its competitive standing in Turkish football. On 29 May 2025 Recognizing the consistent progress under Atan’s leadership, the club announced that the club extended Atan’s contract for two more years. The signing ceremony, marking the extension of his tenure, was held with the participation of club president Gümüşdağ, board members, and players. Under Atan, Başakşehir has continued to strengthen its institutional structure and competitive presence in both domestic and European football.[19][20]
After renewing his contract for two years on 29 May 2025, Çağdaş Atan faced a challenging start to the2025–26 season. In European competition,Başakşehir first reached the third qualifying round of theUEFA Conference League, defeatingCherno More 5–0 on aggregate (4–0, 1–0), and then overcameViking 4–2 on aggregate (1–1, 3–1).[21] However, they were eliminated in the play-off round after suffering a 2–5 aggregate defeat toCS Universitatea Craiova—losing 1–2 at home and 1–3 away.[22]
The first leg againstCS Universitatea Craiova ended in a 1–2 home defeat atFatih Terim Stadium.[23] Following a 1–3 defeat in the return leg held in Romania (3–1 on the night; 5–2 aggregate), Basaksehir’s European campaign came to an abrupt end.[24]
On 8 September 2025,Başakşehir announced that it had mutually terminated its contract with Atan. In the club’s statement, Başakşehir thanked Atan for his professionalism and for leading the team toEuropean competitions in back-to-back seasons, and wished him success in the next stage of his career.[2]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental[a] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Marmaris | 2000–01 | 3. Lig | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 7 | |
| Total | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | ||
| Altay | 2001–02 | 1. Lig | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |
| 2002–03 | Süper Lig | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| Total | 54 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 4 | ||
| Denizlispor | 2003–04 | Süper Lig | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 35 | 2 | |
| Total | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2004–05 | Süper Lig | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 2005–06 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 58 | 2 | ||
| Trabzonspor | 2006–07 | Süper Lig | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
| 2007–08 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| Total | 41 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 2 | ||
| Energie Cottbus | 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 2 | |
| Total | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 | ||
| Basel | 2009–10 | Super League | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Total | 44 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 65 | 1 | ||
| Mersin İdman Yurdu | 2011–12 | Süper Lig | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | |
| Total | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| Akhisarspor | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | 26 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 32 | 9 | |||
| Total | 57 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 1 | ||
| Gaziantep BB | 2014–15 | 1. Lig | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Manisaspor | 2014–15 | 1. Lig | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 374 | 23 | 37 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 436 | 23 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 March 2004 | Stadion Maksimir,Zagreb, Croatia |  Croatia | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||||
| Alanyaspor | 12 August 2020 | 2 September 2021 | 47 | 21 | 8 | 18 | 044.68 | |||
| Kayserispor | 15 June 2022 | 6 September 2023 | 43 | 18 | 8 | 17 | 041.86 | |||
| Başakşehir | 9 September 2023 | 8 September 2025 | 98 | 46 | 23 | 29 | 046.94 | |||
| Konyaspor | 6 November 2025 | present | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 000.00 | |||
| Total | 190 | 85 | 40 | 65 | 044.74 | |||||
