Recep Uçar

Recep Uçar (born 22 September 1975) is a Turkish football manager and former player. He's the current head coach of Konyaspor.

Recep Uçar

Personal information
Full name	Recep Uçar
Date of birth	(1975-09-22) 22 September 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Üsküdar, Turkey
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Konyaspor (head coach)
Youth career
1985–1999	Ümraniyespor
1989–1992	Pendikspor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1998	Pendikspor	101	(23)
1998–2006	İstanbul BB	164	(10)
2006–2007	Pendikspor	45	(2)
2007–2008	İstanbul BB	0	(0)
Total		310	(35)
Managerial career
2020–2023	Ümraniyespor
2023–2024	Kayserispor
2024–	Konyaspor
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Uçar began playing football at the age of 10 with Ümraniyespor, before moving to Pendikspor at age 14. He started his senior career with Pendikspor in the TFF Second League, playing there for four seasons. During this period, he also pursued higher education, graduating with a degree in English Language and Literature.

In 1998, Uçar transferred to İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, a club then competing in the lower divisions of Turkish football. He quickly became a regular starter and later captained the side during their rise through the league system. Known for his discipline and tactical intelligence as a defender, Uçar played a pivotal role instabilizing the backline throughout his time at the club.

He returned to Pendikspor in 2006 for the final chapter of his playing career and retired in 2008 at the age of 31. In total, Uçar amassed over 300 professional appearances across all competitions during his career, playing primarily as a centre-back and right-back.^[1]

Managerial career

Uçar began his coaching career in 2009 at İstanbul Başakşehir, where he initially worked as the club’s chief scout before transitioning into a coaching role. He served for a decade (2009–2019) under long-time head coach Abdullah Avcı, primarily as assistant manager.^[2][3]

On 25 October 2020, Uçar was appointed head coach of Ümraniyespor in the TFF First League.^[4] He led Ümraniyespor to the club’s first-ever promotion to the Süper Lig as 2021–22 runners-up (70 pts), confirmed by the TFF season archive and national press at the time.^[5][6] He departed Ümraniyespor by mutual consent in March 2023 while the team was in the relegation zone of the top tier.^[7]

On 10 September 2023, Uçar was appointed head coach of Kayserispor.^[8][9] His tenure ended by mutual agreement later in the season; he managed 21 matches in all competitions (9 wins, 2 draws, 10 losses).^[10]

Uçar was appointed head coach of Konyaspor on 31 October 2024, signing a deal through the end of the 2025–26 season; the appointment is recorded on both the club site and the TFF database.^[11][12] Early Konyaspor statements and interviews outline his preference for proactive play and his aim to build stability at the club.^[13]

Background notes often describe Uçar as a long-time assistant to Abdullah Avcı at İstanbul Başakşehir (2009–2019) before his head-coaching career, and list a preferred 4-3-3 attacking setup.^[14]