.jpg) Nihat in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1979-11-23)23 November 1979 (age 46) | ||
| Place of birth | Istanbul, Turkey[1] | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger,forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1996 | Esenler[2] | ||
| 1996–1997 | Beşiktaş | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2002 | Beşiktaş | 114 | (27) |
| 2002–2006 | Real Sociedad | 133 | (58) |
| 2006–2009 | Villarreal | 62 | (18) |
| 2009–2011 | Beşiktaş | 34 | (3) |
| Total | 343 | (106) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2010 | Turkey[3] | 69 | (19) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Villarreal (youth) | ||
| 2013–2017 | Turkey (assistant) | ||
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nihat Kahveci (born 23 November 1979), better known mononymously asNihat, is a Turkish former professionalfootballer who played as aforward andright winger forBeşiktaş,Real Sociedad andVillarreal. He works as a football commentator forTRT. He has aUEFA Pro Licence.[4]
Like most Turkish players, his shirt carries his first name, Nihat, rather than his family name, Kahveci. He married Pınar Kaşgören on 5 July 2003.[5] Their daughter Selin was born in May 2008.
Nihat is a product ofBeşiktaş's youth system and was discovered by Hürser Mustafa Cindir when Nihat played in Beşiktaş in the 1996–97 season. He joined the first team at Beşiktaş in the 1997–98 season when he was just 17, at the timeJohn Toshack was the coach. Since then, Nihat became a key player.
In January 2002, Nihat was transferred toReal Sociedad for €5 million by his former Beşiktaş coach Toshack. Nihat also joined his Turkish team-mateTayfun Korkut in Spain.
He had his debut on January, 26 in a 3–1 loss againstCelta de Vigo, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute forXabi Alonso and played for 18 minutes.
His first goal came in a 2–2 draw againstRayo Vallecano on 24 February 2002. In the first half of the season, Nihat played 11 matches and scored one goal.
In2002–03, his second season in Spain, Nihat scored a brace in theBasque derby, the opening match of the season, helping his team to win 4–2. He finished the season with 23 goals making him the league's joint-second highest scorer for the season behindRoy Makaay (29 goals) and tied withRonaldo.[6] That season, Real Sociedad finished second in the league that season, just two points behindReal Madrid,[6] mostly thanks to a very fruitful strike partnership with Serbian forwardDarko Kovačević, such that sports journalist Phil Ball nicknamed the pair "Little and Large", in reference to the height difference between the two (Nihat's height is 1.75 m and Kovačević's is 1.87 m).[7] His consistent, good performances have led to interests from other clubs, to which Nihat turned a deaf ear.
In his third season at Real Sociedad, Nihat made 32 appearances scoring a total of 14 goals. Nihat also played in theUEFA Champions League withReal Sociedad as the club was paired withJuventus,Galatasaray andOlympiacos. La Real qualified to the knockout stage, but was eliminated byOlympique Lyonnais, losing 2–0 on aggregate. By the end of the season, Nihat won theDon Balón Award for Best Foreign Player.
In his fourth season, Nihat made 23 appearances and scored 13 goals. In the middle of the season, Nihat tore hisACL during a match againstSevilla which caused him to be out of action for six months.[8]
In June 2005, reports claimed that Nihat was linked to Russian clubCSKA Moscow for €20 million Euros but the move never materialized.[9] Nihat insisted he had to concentrate on the club to prevent relegation:"I can't go now. I can't walk out on Real Sociedad, We are fighting to try and secure some tranquillity and I am one of those who thinks that the more strength there is in the team, the better. On Sunday we took a very important step in Santander, and now it is a question of continuing to take steps forward in the league.".[10] Nihat was also linked with clubs likeChelsea[11] andManchester United.[12]
In his fifth and last season at Real Sociedad, Nihat made his return from injury in a 3–0 loss in the Basque derby, against Athletic Bilbao. He went on to make 32 appearances and score seven goals. During that season, Nihat was about to sign for Russian clubSpartak Moscow[13] but had to stay for the remainder of the season due to Kovačević's injury.[14]
On 16 May 2006, Nihat agreed to joinVillarreal CF, on a five-year contract, on aBosman transfer after rejecting a new contract at Real Sociedad.[15] He tore his ACL again on 22 November 2006 during a training ground collision with team-mateJavi Venta and was out for months.[16] He seemed to catch up form in his second season with 18 goals in the league and four goals in theUEFA Cup, helping his club to finish the season as second inLa Liga where he formed a formidable offensive pair withRobert Pires. The Spanish newspaperEl Mundo named Nihat as the best player on the team. However, in the2008–09 season, due to injuries again, Nihat made 19 appearances equalling 764 minutes of playing time but failed to score a single goal.[17]
On 27 June 2009, Nihat returned to the club where he started his career by signing forBeşiktaş J.K. on a four-year deal.[18] Return to Turkish football wasn't very fruitful for Nihat. Over two seasons he managed 34 appearances in the league, netting only three goals. On 25 April 2011, in a match againstKonyaspor which turned out to be his last game, Nihat and the new Beşiktaş favouriteRicardo Quaresma had quarrel on the pitch. Nihat was upset at Quaresma for failing to pass the ball and the altercation was broken up by teammates.[19] On 18 May 2011, Beşiktaş terminated Nihat's contract despite two years left on his contract and he told Turkish media: "I don't want to play in Turkey anymore.".[20]
Following his release by Beşiktaş, Nihat was linked with returning to Spanish clubs like his former clubReal Sociedad[21] andCastellón[22] and as well as MLS sideLos Angeles Galaxy.[23]
After a six months without a club, on 12 January 2012; Nihat announced his retirement from football with immediate effect, saying:"I would like to share my decision to put an end to my professional career as a footballer,". After some days, Nihat told NTV Spor that his retirement was prompted by his age limiting his ability on the pitch and admitted that returning to Beşiktaş was a mistake and ill-judged, although stated there were some beautiful moments.[24]
"When you get old, you can't do anything you want on the pitch, I must admit my return to Turkey was not a success and it hurt me as a man who was used to success. I was angry at myself, and there was some heavy criticism too. After I left Beşiktaş, I thought maybe I could play somewhere else, but I saw that I wanted to call it a day. Every good story has a beginning and an end. I have had some very beautiful moments. I had great joy when I was healthy and playing well."
— Nihat told NTV Spor about his retirement
Nihat made his international debut againstSweden in October 2000.[25] InGroup C at the2002 FIFA World Cup, Nihat made his only appearance as a 79th-minute substitute forYıldıray Baştürk againstCosta Rica.[26] His only other appearance was as a substitute in the 1–0 victory overJapan where he replaced, the goalscorer,Ümit Davala.[27] Turkey went on to finish in third place with a 3–2 victory overGuus Hiddink'sSouth Korea.[28]
In the final match ofEuro 2008 Group A, Nihat scored twice in a pivotal match against theCzech Republic. Both teams were level on points, both having beatenSwitzerland and lost toPortugal, with exactly the same number of goals scored and conceded, a win would guarantee a quarter-finals spot whilst a draw would mean penalty-shootouts would be required in the group stage. The Czechs took a 2–0 lead through aJan Koller header and aJaroslav Plašil goal and the score remained 2–0 until the 75th minute, whenArda Turan scored making it 2–1. Nihat's first goal came in the 87th minute;Hamit Altıntop's cross was dropped byPetr Čech allowing Nihat tap the ball into the net. He scored his second goal one minute later; a brilliant, curling strike from outside the box, helpingTurkey win the match 3–2.[29]
Nihat was ruled out ofTurkey's semi-final withGermany due to a thigh injury,[30] which ultimately required surgery and prevented him from playing for Villarreal in the early part of the 2008–09 season.
On 6 July 2012, it was reported that Nihat has joined the coaching staff at his former club Villarreal as an assistant-manager of the youth team.
"Villarreal CF has opened the doors and I have always felt at home, I played three seasons here and in recent times I have followed the team as an amateur. I have much affection and, therefore, I am very glad to be in this club. I want to start my new career coaching from below, like I did as a player, The president Fernando Roig has made history at this club and certainly have the ability to return to the elite as soon as possible. We must also rely on the new coach, Julio Velasquez, if the club has chosen it is because they will have the conviction that the team will return to First Division."
— Nihat on his new job.[31]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Beşiktaş | 1997–98 | 1.Lig | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | 2 | |
| 1998–99 | 1.Lig | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 1 | 29 | 8 | |
| 1999–2000 | 1.Lig | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 | 7 | ||
| 2000–01 | 1.Lig | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 | 5 | ||
| 2001–02 | Süper Lig | 15 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | 21 | 9 | ||
| Total | 114 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 31 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 2001–02 | La Liga | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 | La Liga | 35 | 23 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 23 | |||
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 32 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | – | 40 | 14 | ||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 23 | 13 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 13 | |||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 7 | |||
| Total | 133 | 58 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | – | 145 | 59 | |||
| Villarreal | 2006–07 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2[d] | 1 | – | 13 | 4 | |
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 34 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 6[e] | 3 | – | 42 | 21 | ||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | – | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 62 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 4 | – | 78 | 25 | |||
| Beşiktaş | 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 23 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 27 | 5 |
| 2010–11 | Süper Lig | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[f] | 4 | – | 19 | 4 | ||
| Total | 34 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 9 | ||
| Career total | 343 | 106 | 19 | 7 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 382 | 124 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2001 | Stadionul Republican,Chişinău, Moldova |  Moldova | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 21 August 2002 | Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium,Trabzon, Turkey |  Georgia | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 12 October 2002 | Gradski Stadium,Skopje, Republic of Macedonia |  Macedonia | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 4 | 7 June 2003 | Tehelné pole,Bratislava,Slovakia |  Slovakia | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 5 | 11 June 2003 | BJK İnönü Stadium,Istanbul, Turkey | Macedonia | 1–1 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 6 | 20 August 2003 | Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium,Ankara, Turkey | Moldova | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 24 May 2004 | Telstra Dome,Melbourne, Australia |  Australia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 9 October 2004 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Kazakhstan | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 13 October 2004 | Parken Stadium,Copenhagen, Denmark |  Denmark | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 26 May 2006 | Ruhrstadion,Bochum, Germany |  Ghana | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 2 June 2006 | Trendwork Arena,Sittard, Netherlands |  Angola | 2–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 12 | 6 September 2006 | Commerzbank-Arena,Frankfurt, Germany |  Malta | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 13 | 17 November 2007 | Ullevaal Stadion,Oslo, Norway |  Norway | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 14 | 21 November 2007 | Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 15 | 25 May 2008 | Ruhrstadion,Bochum, Germany |  Uruguay | 2–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 16 | 15 June 2008 | Stade de Genève,Geneva, Switzerland |  Czech Republic | 2–2 | 3–2 | Euro 2008 |
| 17 | 3–2 | |||||
| 18 | 22 May 2010 | Red Bull Arena,New Jersey, United States | Czech Republic | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 3 September 2010 | Astana Arena,Astana, Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan | 3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
Beşiktaş
Turkey
Individual
Order
Turkey squads | |||||||||||||
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