1. Early Life and Youth Career
Ozan Kabak began his football journey by joining the Galatasaray youth academy in 2011. He developed through various youth levels, demonstrating early promise. On 1 July 2017, he signed his first professional contract with Galatasaray, marking his official entry into professional football.
Kabak also represented Turkey at various youth international levels. He played for the Turkey U15 team, making 7 appearances and scoring 1 goal. For the U16 team, he appeared 15 times and scored 5 goals. He captained the Turkey U17s at the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he made 24 appearances and scored 3 goals. His performance at the tournament earned him recognition from UEFA, which listed him as one of the 10 players to watch. He also played for the Turkey U18 team, appearing 11 times and scoring 4 goals.
2. Club Career
Ozan Kabak's club career has seen him play for several prominent teams across Europe, including Galatasaray, VfB Stuttgart, Schalke 04, Liverpool, Norwich City, and TSG Hoffenheim.
2.1. Galatasaray
Kabak made his professional debut for Galatasaray on 12 May 2018, in a Süper Lig match against Yeni Malatyaspor, which Galatasaray won 2-0. This appearance was notable as it made him the first footballer born in the 2000s to play in the Süper Lig. On 24 October 2018, he played his first Champions League match in a 0-0 home draw against Schalke 04 during the 2018-19 season. During his time with Galatasaray, he made a total of 14 league appearances.
2.2. VfB Stuttgart
On 17 January 2019, Kabak transferred to Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, signing a contract that extended until June 2024. He quickly established himself in the starting lineup. On 3 March, he scored his first senior career goals, netting twice in a 5-1 victory over Hannover 96. This achievement made him, at 18 years, 11 months, and 7 days old, the youngest Turkish center-back and the third-youngest Stuttgart player ever to score two goals in a single Bundesliga match. Despite his efforts, the team finished 16th and was relegated to the second division after losing in the play-offs. He made 15 league appearances for VfB Stuttgart, scoring 3 goals.
2.3. Schalke 04
On 30 June 2019, Kabak joined Schalke 04 on a five-year contract. The transfer fee was 15.00 M EUR, as Schalke activated a release clause in his contract. In his first season with the club (2019-20), he was a regular performer, appearing in 28 matches and scoring three goals. However, the team experienced a significant decline, enduring a 17-match winless streak and facing financial difficulties.
In September 2020, Kabak was involved in a disciplinary incident where he was caught spitting at Werder Bremen's Ludwig Augustinsson. He was shown a red card for the action and subsequently banned for five games and fined 15.00 K EUR. Kabak later apologized to Augustinsson via Twitter, stating that the incident was an accident.
2.3.1. Liverpool (loan)
On 1 February 2021, Kabak signed for Liverpool on loan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. The loan deal was reportedly worth 1.00 M GBP, with potential add-ons of 500.00 K GBP depending on his appearances and Liverpool's performance in the Champions League. The agreement also included an option for Liverpool to purchase him permanently for approximately 18.00 M GBP, which could rise to 26.50 M GBP with further add-ons. He joined Liverpool on the same day as Ben Davies.
Kabak made his Liverpool debut on 13 February 2021, in a Premier League match against Leicester City, which ended in a 1-3 away defeat. On 16 February, he played in a 2-0 away win over RB Leipzig in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League, becoming the first Turkish player to appear for an English club in the competition. At the end of the season, Liverpool decided not to sign Kabak on a permanent basis, and he returned to Schalke 04 on 30 June.
2.3.2. Norwich City (loan)
On 30 August 2021, Kabak returned to England, joining newly promoted Norwich City on a season-long loan deal. The agreement included an option for Norwich City to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.
2.4. TSG Hoffenheim
On 23 July 2022, Kabak made a permanent move to TSG Hoffenheim, signing a contract until 30 June 2026. His contract also includes a clause that could see him earn up to 8.00 M EUR in add-ons. He continues to play as a centre-back for the club.
3. International Career
Ozan Kabak has represented Turkey at various levels of international football, from youth teams to the senior national squad.
3.1. Youth career
As a youth international, Kabak was a prominent figure for Turkey. He captained the Turkey U17 team at the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he was recognized by UEFA as one of the top 10 players to watch. His youth international career also included appearances for the U15, U16, and U18 teams, where he consistently contributed goals.
3.2. Senior career
Kabak made his debut for the Turkey senior team on 17 November 2019, playing the full match in a 2-0 victory over Andorra during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. He scored his first international goal on 16 November 2022, in a 2-1 friendly win against Scotland. His second international goal came on 12 September 2023, in a friendly against Japan, where Turkey lost 2-4. On 24 May 2024, Kabak was named in Turkey's 35-man preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2024. However, he was withdrawn from the squad on 5 June due to a knee injury, preventing his participation in the tournament.
4. Career Statistics
The following tables detail Ozan Kabak's club and international career statistics.
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Galatasaray | 2017-18 | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2018-19 | Süper Lig | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | - | 17 | 0 | |||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2018-19 | Bundesliga | 15 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | |||
| Schalke 04 | 2019-20 | Bundesliga | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2020-21 | Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Liverpool (loan) | 2020-21 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| Norwich City (loan) | 2021-22 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| TSG Hoffenheim | 2022-23 | Bundesliga | 30 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 33 | 4 | |||
| 2023-24 | Bundesliga | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 30 | 4 | ||||
| Career total | 147 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 165 | 14 | ||
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 2 | |
:Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kabak goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 November 2022 | Diyarbakır Stadium, Diyarbakır, Turkey | Scotland | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 12 September 2023 | Cegeka Arena, Genk, Belgium | Japan | 1-3 | 2-4 |
5. Honours
Ozan Kabak has achieved both team and individual accolades throughout his professional football career.
5.1. Club
Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2017-18
5.2. Individual
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Season: 2018-19
