Besiktas professional in an interview
2019 was a low point for Onur Bulut, both personally and with his team. While Eintracht Braunschweig struggled to survive in the 3rd division, it was just enough for him to get a place in the bank with Lower Saxony. In the meantime, the 29-year-old has fulfilled a lifelong dream and can call himself a Turkish international. He reports on Transfermarkt how he did it.
For every human being there is a word that has an important meaning in relation to life or a certain period – in Bulut this word is “turning point”. Eintracht Braunschweig and especially the third division season 2018/19 played an important role in this turning point – a season that still causes stomach ache for many BTSV supporters today. As the second division were relegated, the “Lions” slipped to the bottom of the table and were nine points behind the saving bank at the start of the second half of the season. The crash into the fourth division was approaching.
“The points tally will say otherwise, but we had a fantastic coach in Henrik Pedersen. He was great both athletically and personally. The biggest mistake the club made was to only rely on young players. At the time, it was said that there were no financial resources and that one had to go this route. At the age of 24 or 25, I was one of the most experienced players. The lack of experience and the resulting insecurity was evident in a few games where we were leading, but in the end gave everything out of hand. Of course, the mood within the fan scene changed at some point. I remember that toilet brushes were even thrown at us after one game. But I don’t exclude myself from the criticism. I could easily have scored ten goals in the first half of the season, but I just failed in front of the goal,” said Bulut.
In order to pull off the miracle, Braunschweig replaced coach Pedersen with André Schubert and brought in players like Jasmin Fejzic, Benjamin Kessel and Bernd Nehrig – so plenty of experience. For Bulut, the move on the sidelines meant he lost his regular spot and moved to the bench. Without Werdohler, who was only rarely used, the BTSV rushed from victory to victory – and in a heart-stopping final on the last day against Energie Cottbus (1:1) achieved relegation. Ultimately, only the better goal difference was decisive.
Bulut on near relegation to Regionalliga with BTSV: “Do something with one”
The time in the relegation battle was formative for Bulut, because even today he speaks of a borderline experience that should change him permanently: “The game against Cottbus was the emotionally toughest game in my career so far. For example, if you are in a cup final, this is only loaded with positive pressure. The game had only negative connotations. They say you should hide everything. Something like that is almost impossible. You know relegation would not only put people out of work, it would also take the club into amateur football. In such an all-important game you would like to be on the field yourself and actively help to stay up. But when you’re sitting on the bench, you’re twice as worried and excited. So much ballast fell off after the final whistle, after that we just celebrated and demolished Braunschweig.” Bulut also thanks the Braunschweig crowd: “We only managed to stay up in the league at the time thanks to the unconditional support of every single Eintracht fan. I noticed from the start that Braunschweig lives and loves this club.”
Relegation was followed by an upheaval, many players left the club – including Bulut. Quite a few fans expressed criticism when saying goodbye. The accusation: Bulut has identified with the club, but rarely played to his potential. The record from 34 games for Eintracht was two goals and three assists. Bulut says: “There is no one answer as to why it didn’t work out, it was a mixture of many things. From a sporting point of view, it wasn’t a good time. Nevertheless, I have fond memories of Braunschweig as a city and Eintracht as a club because I was able to make many friends.”
Onur Bulut 2018 in the Eintracht Braunschweig jersey
At the age of 25, Bulut dared something new and switched to the Turkish first division club Alanyaspor. “I didn’t necessarily have a rucksack on, but if you’ve almost ended up in the regional league from the Bundesliga within a few years, then that really does something to you,” emphasizes Bulut. There weren’t many inquiries at the time, “understandably,” he says. After initial difficulties, Bulut fought for a regular place, but the joy lasted only a few months, because again after a change of coach he was on the verge of being eliminated. “The most important thing in a situation like this is not to look to the past and say it could be the same now as it was then. Otherwise you will get caught up in a negative vortex, you will become more and more tired and at some point you will not be able to get out of it. The most important lesson from this time was to develop patience, wait for your chance and live in the now. The only opportunity I have to improve is in the present, so I actively use it. Experiences only help you when you turn the negative into the positive,” says Bulut.
Bulut on retirement thoughts: “Prove it to everyone again”
After a year at Alanyaspor, he went on loan to league competitor Caykur Rizespor for a season. There, too, the number of moments of happiness was low, Bulut emphasizes that the time was not nice: “On the one hand because of the corona pandemic. From a sporting point of view, it was also mixed. I’ve played in five different positions at Rizespor and never really had the feeling of trusting or even arriving. After good games, I was simply used in a different position. I was sort of the jumper who had to jump in if there was a gap somewhere. At the time there were quite a few moments when I thought maybe I’d quit football and retire. But then in the next moment I thought: I’ll keep going, I’ll prove it to everyone again.”
To break through in Turkish football, Bulut joined Kayserispor in 2021. He definitely wanted to use this opportunity to put a lasting stamp on the Süper Lig. He worked extra shifts after extra shifts, but more important than the training were the talks with coach Hikmet Karaman – who relied on Bulut at right-back. “The trainer took me by the hand, pointed out my weaknesses right from the start and at the same time encouraged me in my strengths and abilities. I missed the appreciation in the years before and he gave it to me. I got an incredible amount of freedom from him in the game and I’m grateful for that. To put it bluntly, he rekindled my love for football,” said Bulut.
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Bulut notices that from then on he has developed into one of the best Turkish players in his position: “I remember that former teammates suddenly called me and said: ‘Onur, almost half of the video analysis consisted of scenes from you.’ I was particularly touched when an opponent came up to me and said I should be absolutely proud of my positive development.” A development that didn’t go unnoticed by Turkey’s national coach Stefan Kuntz.
Kuntz nominated Bulut for the international matches in September 2022, and a little later in November he helped him make his debut when he started against the Czech Republic (2-1) at the age of 28. “Stefan Kuntz himself only made his debut for Germany at the age of 31. It shows that anything is possible in football if you’re willing to believe in it and work hard enough. The debut was an absolute highlight. It may have changed my standing in the public eye, but I continue to be just the Onur.”
Onur Bulut (left) with the Turkish national team
Bulut: “Moving to Besiktas was something very special for me”
He crowned his personal high when he was drawn to the top club Besiktas for one million euros in the last winter transfer phase. He had previously been linked to FC Augsburg in the TM rumor mill. “I heard the rumors too, but there were no concrete talks. The move to Besiktas was something very special for me. I saw straight away that the club is one of the biggest clubs in Turkey from my number of followers on Instagram – it went through the roof. The atmosphere at our home games is incredible and indescribable,” says Bulut, starting with an anecdote: “The funniest situation I’ve experienced in relation to the fans was in a shopping center. I passed several people and heard one say, ‘Look, he looks like Onur Bulut.’ Then the other: ‘Oh nonsense, he would never go to the supermarket, he prefers to let people shop.'”
If Bulut has his way, he sees himself at Besiktas in the long term (contract until 2026). Under coach Senol Günes he is on the right side of defence, but has recently missed two games, in the 3-1 derby against Galatasaray he celebrated his comeback as a joker. “The past has shaped me both positively and negatively. My self-confidence could only develop through the experiences of the last few years. To be honest, I just want to arrive. It’s annoying when you feel like you’re looking for a new apartment every year and you have to build a new environment at the same time. I would like to win a lot of titles with Besiktas and preferably become a champion,” he emphasizes and adds: “I think I am a good example of the fact that you should never give up, even when things are not going well. If you have a dream, pursue it. You can do anything with the right attitude and the right mindset.”
Text by Henrik Stadnischeko
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