Almost twice as many minutes as in two years at Borussia Dortmund! A former Dortmund flop is suddenly important again

Salih Özcan’s star had faded noticeably at Borussia Dortmund, where the defensive midfielder was a perennial substitute. In the summer, he joined Besiktas – and promptly became a regular starter in Istanbul.

It was hard to believe even then, but Niko Kovac's words have since proved hollow. Last January, the Borussia Dortmund coach was asked about Salih Özcan, who, in his fourth season at BVB, had made just four brief appearances totalling 21 minutes by the winter break.

Kovac named Özcan as one of the players in his squad "who hasn't had nearly enough playing time" and blamed fierce competition in Dortmund's midfield. That was nothing new for the defensive midfielder. Even in the previous season, during which he had spent a spell on loan at VfL Wolfsburg, he had barely featured.

"I can imagine, and I think, that he will get a lot more minutes in the future than he did in the first phase of the season," Kovac said of Özcan just over nine months ago. Observers were surprised, and Kovac did not follow his words with action. The competition Özcan faced had not changed. He played 53 minutes in the second half of the season, more than twice his first-half total but surely not what he had hoped for when he heard Kovac's comments.

Özcan and BVB had long seemed destined to part ways when the lucrative four-year contract he signed in 2022 expired. Given his extremely limited playing time in recent years, the 28-year-old landed on his feet.

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At the beginning of July, Özcan signed for Besiktas in Istanbul until 2029. Even before that, his place in Turkey's World Cup squad had come as a surprise after just 74 minutes of playing time in the 2025/26 season. Özcan appeared twice at the finals, playing the full match in the third group game, a 3-2 win over the USA.

The Cologne native enjoys a completely different standing in Turkey from that in Germany, where his star had recently faded noticeably. On the Bosphorus, fans celebrated Özcan's arrival from a Champions League club that had reached the final just two years earlier.

Like many new signings before him, Özcan went through the traditional welcome ceremony at the airport's international terminal. A host of club officials, security staff and bodyguards ushered him through the building, where numerous Besiktas fans greeted him. Salih posed with a scarf for the cameras, made the club's customary eagle gesture and led the supporters in song.

Salih Özcan immediately becomes a regular starter at Besiktas

"I had been eagerly awaiting this day. Being part of Besiktas fills me with great pride," Özcan said at the time. "I can't wait to get on the pitch. We will fight for the club. We want to become champions and qualify for the Champions League."

Five wins from eight league games and 15 points, however, amount to no more than the sort of start expected of the previous season's fourth-placed side. Before the matchday, Besiktas trailed defending champions Galatasaray by four points, while their other city rivals Fenerbahce were just one point ahead. Besiktas host Basaksehir in a local derby on Monday afternoon.

For Özcan, the start to life in Istanbul looks far better than his final stretch at BVB. He has already made 17 competitive appearances, starting 15 of them and playing the full 90 minutes ten times.

Salih Özcan: Already almost twice as much playing time as in two years at BVB

His 1311 minutes so far are almost twice his total over the previous two years combined in Dortmund. Alongside goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, Özcan is one of only two players to have started all eight Süper Lig matches. Only the German national-team goalkeeper has played more minutes than Özcan under new coach Vincenzo Italiano, who arrived from FC Bologna. Özcan has also made four appearances, three of them as a starter, for the Turkey national team in the Nations League.

Such a heavy workload had long been unfamiliar to Özcan. The frequency of his appearances, and how well he has performed, has also surprised observers in Turkey. Under Italiano, he is a fixture in a midfield trio with captain Orkun Kökcü and Junior Olaitan that plays almost every time.

In several matches, Özcan has shown the qualities for which he has always been known: tremendous commitment, aggressive tackling and tireless running. "I work constantly. Whether I play a little or a lot, I don't take a break," Özcan said of his completely changed status at Besiktas. "I'm still at a good age; there's still a lot to learn. That's why I listen very closely to our coaches. That has a big influence on me."

Salih Özcan has been waiting almost five years for a goal of his own

After ten wins in their first twelve competitive matches of the season, the traditional club from the capital have lost momentum. They have recorded two defeats and two draws in their past five games. The losses to surprise promoted side Amed SK (currently second!) and Trabzonspor, two teams above Besiktas, were particularly painful.

Italiano recently left Özcan out of the team for the first time in the Europa League to give him a breather. The plan did not last through the most recent match, a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Fabio Miretti's injury forced Özcan on in the 39th minute.

Just seven minutes later, Özcan's superb long ball in the style of a quarterback set up Wilfred Ndidi's goal to make it 1-0. One thing still eludes him, as it did in 96 games for BVB: a goal of his own. He last scored at club level on 4 December 2021 for 1. FC Köln at the Bielefelder Alm.

Salih Özcan: His statistics at BVB