Aytaç Sulu

Aytaç Sulu — Biography

Aytaç Sulu was born on 11 December 1985 in Heidelberg, Germany, to a working-class family of Turkish descent. He began playing in local youth clubs, broke into SV Sandhausen's first team, and then played for Bahlinger SC and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, mostly with Hoffenheim's reserve side.

In 2009 he moved to VfR Aalen, became captain, led the club into the 3. Liga and won the WFV-Pokal. After a short and unproductive spell at Süper Lig side Gençlerbirliği, he moved to Austria's Rheindorf Altach and then, in 2013, to SV Darmstadt 98. As Darmstadt's captain, Sulu took the club from the lower reaches of the 3. Liga up into the 2. Bundesliga within three seasons, then into the Bundesliga for the first time in 33 years. In his first Bundesliga season he drew praise for his defending and scored seven headed goals, a record for a defender in the competition; he made 60 Bundesliga appearances as captain and was later named the club's honorary captain.

He transferred to Samsunspor in 2019 and briefly to Carl Zeiss Jena in Germany in 2020. Though born and raised in Germany and eligible for its national team, Sulu chose to represent Turkey and played his career on a Turkish passport alone. After retiring as a player he moved into coaching.