Hikmet Karaman

He was born in Kocaeli, Turkey on 09 March 1960 who hold UEFA Pro-License and could speak German at advanced level and English at elementary level.

Started his career as a football player in the junior category of Kocaelispor, as a striker first and a midfielder and left back finally. While studying in Berlin, Germany, who played at Rot-Weißfootball club. After Rot-Weiß club, he played for Normania 08 club in Germany.

Then he served as a trainer-player for Berlin Turkspor, where they won the championships of A Liga, Landes Liga, and raised the team to German third division. Received his C, B and A Licenses at the Köln Hennef Sportschule. His course lecturers were Bernt Stöber, Holger Osieck, Rute Muller and Berti Vogts. He currently hold UEFA pro-license. He is attending various international football seminars in Germany, Finland and Italy.

In 1994, returned to Turkey and worked for Kocaelispor as assistant coach together with Reinard Saftig.

In 1995-1996, was passed to Galatasaray and played to Göteborg, Manchester United and Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League that year.

In 1997-1998, worked with Mustafa Denizli, the former coach of Turkish National Team and now Beşiktaş, at Kocaelispor.

In 1998, worked with Holger Osieck (now UEFA Coach) and won the Turkish Cup.

In 1999, coached Erzurumspor in Turkish Super League.

In 2000, took over Adanaspor in the last place of the standing and completed the season in the first eight (Turkish Super League).

In 2001-2002, Kocaelispor with 4 points in 14 games, and completed the season with 41 points. As part of this success, we defeated Galatasaray, coached by Mircea Lucescu by 3-2 in Istanbul and won the Turkish Cup by defeating Beşiktaş coached by Cristoph Daum by 4-0 in the final, after which we were entitled to join the UEFA Cup. Furthermore, during the preparatory camp for this season, we defeated Arsenal of Arsen Wenger by 4-1 in Austria.

In the 2003-2004 season, took over Rizespor in the lower division and raised them to Super League. We played in the semi-final Turkey Cup.

In 2004-2005, took over Kayserispor, which had completed the first half of the season with 11 points and laid the foundations of today’s Kayserispor by receiving only 4 losses in 17 games in the second half, thus avoiding the team from falling down to the lower division.

In 2006-2007, coached Ankaragücü in Turkish Super League.

In 2007-2008, helped Ankaraspor, which had only 3 points with no wins in 9 games, stay in the Super League at the end of the season, marked as a historical success.

In 2008, took over Antalyaspor in the lower division and raised them to the Super League.

In 2009-2010, took over Ankaragücü in the last 9 games and helped the team stay in the Super League with 5 wins, although the team was predicted to fall down to the lower division.