Shocking! 22-year-old woman becomes head coach of Turkish football club
Zeynep Mestan is stepping into one of the most unusual coaching jobs in Turkish football.
Details: Turgutluspor have officially appointed 22-year-old Zeynep Mestan as head coach of their men's first team. The İzmir-born coach has become the first woman to hold the position in the club's history and will lead the side during the 2026/27 season.
The appointment comes at an extremely difficult moment for Turgutluspor. The Manisa-based club were relegated from Turkey's third tier in 2025 and then suffered another setback last season, finishing 10th in the Regional Amateur League and dropping into the Manisa Super Amateur League for the first time in their history.
Mestan signed her contract at the club's headquarters and will now be responsible for leading a major rebuild. Turgutluspor described her as the person who will head the club's new sporting and technical structure ahead of the new campaign.
Despite her age, Mestan already has a long connection with football. She began playing in 2019 and represented Karşıyaka BESEM Spor, Konak Belediyespor, Bornova Hitab Spor, Soma Zafer Spor and Bornova Genç Yıldızlar Spor, including appearances in Turkey's Women's Third League.
It is worth noting that Mestan was born on July 30, 2004 and graduated from Ege University's Faculty of Sports Sciences. She has also previously worked as an assistant coach with both women's and men's football teams.
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Steven Perez
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