Yunus Emre Çift

Yunus Emre Çift — Biography

Yunus Emre Çift (born 1 September 2003 in Çarşamba, Samsun Province) is a Turkish footballer who plays as a centre-back. Standing 1.85 m tall, he began playing football at Dikbıyık Belediyespor, an amateur club in his hometown, before moving to another amateur side, Yeşilırmakspor, then rising through the youth academy of Samsunspor, the city's leading club. He earned minutes with the first team and made his professional debut in a Turkish Cup match against 1922 Konyaspor on 26 October 2021.

Çift was part of the Samsunspor squad that won the 2022-23 Turkish 1. Lig title, and fans voted him both the season's best defender and its young player of the year. His performances the following season, Samsunspor's first back in the Süper Lig, drew criticism in the limited minutes he was given. He later became a rotation player in the Süper Lig, and on 3 February 2026 he made his 100th official appearance for the club in a Turkish Cup match against Bodrum.

In the 2025-26 season Çift featured in Samsunspor's European campaign; in December 2025 he spoke of the goal of advancing further, and after the club's elimination in March 2026 he said they were leaving Europe with their heads held high. He names Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk as his idol, and his stated ambition is to play for the Turkey national team and in the Premier League.