Hakan Balta

Hakan Balta

Balta playing for Galatasaray in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Hakan Kadir Balta
Date of birth	(1983-03-23) 23 March 1983
Place of birth	West Berlin, West Germany
Height
Position(s)	Centre back / Left back
Team information
Current team	Galatasaray
Number	22
Youth career
2000–2003	Hertha BSC II
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2007	Manisaspor	116	(19)
2007–	Galatasaray	218	(10)
International career‡
2006–	Turkey	45	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 February 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 October 2015

Hakan Kadir Balta (Turkish pronunciation: [haːkan kadiɾ baɫta], born 23 March 1983) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Galatasaray in the Süper Lig.

Club career

Galatasaray

He formerly played for Hertha Berlin II and Manisaspor before moving to Galatasaray in September 2007. As part of the transfer deal Galatasaray exchanged Ferhat Öztorun and loaned Aydın Yılmaz, and Anıl Karaer. In the last game of the season he scored the goal that secured the title for Galatasaray and he won 2007–08 Süper Lig with Galatasaray.

2010–11 season

He was criticised for the last minute error he made in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League play-off match against FC Karpaty Lviv in August 2010 where Galatasaray was eliminated.

2011–12 season

Hakan in a November 2011 match against Gaziantepspor

2011–12 Süper Lig was a year of recovery for Galatasaray. With a new board led by newly elected president Unal Aysal, the club assigned Fatih Terim as the manager. Hakan Balta improved his performance under Terim's management and alongside his new team members. He was regular starter through the season and the only member of the last season's crew to do so. In a derby against arch-rivals Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray were trailing 2–1 when Balta scored the equiliser with a left foot volley inside the area. The result helped maintain Galatasaray's position at the top of the league along. Galatasaray won the championship.

2012–13 season

After Ayhan Akman leaving the team, Hakan became one of the team captains, and on 12 August during the 2012–13 Süper Lig match, he played as the captain as Galatasaray won the Super Cup against their rivals Fenerbahçe with a 3-2 win.

He scored his first 2012–13 Süper Lig goal of the new season on 19 October 2012, in a match against Gençlerbirliği when they were trailing 3–2 to make the final score 3–3 draw right before the final whistle.

International career

Hakan playing for Turkey in 2010

Having made his debut for the national side in the 1–1 friendly draw with Azerbaijan in April 2006, Hakan's services were not required again until a crucial point in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. He was called up to the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovia. He played the full 90 minutes of both victories, which secured Fatih Terim's side their place at Austria and Switzerland. He was a constant starter in all games during Turkey's run in Euro 2008. Turkey reached the semi-final stage with a streak of last-gasp wins. He continued to be a member of the first team also under Guus Hiddink management. He scored Turkey's consolation goal against Germany in a 3–1 defeat in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match.

Career statistics

As of 29 February 2016.

Club

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manisaspor	2003–04	26	5	3	0	—		—		29	5
	2004–05	27	5	0	0	—		—		27	5
	2005–06	31	3	1	0	—		—		32	3
	2006–07	28	4	7	2	—		—		35	6
	2007–08	4	2	0	0	—		—		4	2
	Total	116	19	11	2	—		—		127	21
Galatasaray	2007–08	27	3	4	0	1	0	1	0	33	3
	2008–09	28	1	6	0	—		8	0	42	1
	2009–10	25	1	3	0	—		8	1	36	2
	2010–11	20	1	4	0	—		4	0	28	1
	2011–12	37	1	1	0	—		—		38	1
	2012–13	14	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	17	1
	2013–14	24	0	9	0	1	0	3	0	37	0
	2014–15	21	1	7	0	1	0	2	1	31	2
	2015–16	20	1	4	0	1	0	8	0	33	1
	Total	218	10	39	0	5	0	35	2	298	12
Career total		335	29	50	2	5	0	35	2	424	33

International

Turkey national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2006	1	0
2007	2	0
2008	14	1
2009	7	0
2010	3	0
2011	7	1
2012	0	0
2013	0	0
2014	3	0
2015	6	0
Total	43	2

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	20 May 2008	Bielefeld, Germany	Slovakia	1–0	1–0	Friendly
2.	7 October 2011	İstanbul, Turkey	Germany	1–2	1–3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification

Honours

Galatasaray

• Süper Lig (4): 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
• Türkiye Kupası (3): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Süper Kupa (4): 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015

Turkey

• UEFA European Championship: Semi-finals (1): 2008

External links

• Profile at Galatasaray.org
• Statistics at TFF.org (Turkish)
• Hakan Balta – UEFA competition record
• Hakan Balta – FIFA competition record
• Hakan Balta at National-Football-Teams.com
• Hakan Balta career statistics at Soccerbase
• Hakan Balta at the Internet Movie Database