Nergiz Bulut is an emerging leader in Turkish football administration, with a growing portfolio across women’s football management, academic research, and sports governance. With a foundation in sport management and pedagogy, she brings a multifaceted perspective to club operations, youth development, and gender equity in football.
Education & Academic Contributions
Nergiz holds a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Kocaeli University, where she graduated with honors, and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the same field. Her academic focus includes sports law, sport economics, club governance, communication in sports, and the management of sports organizations. Her undergraduate thesis on aggression and violence in amateur football competitions was presented to the Kocaeli Provincial Sports Security Board, which included the Governor, District Governors, Police Chief, and presidents of 122 clubs.
She has presented and published research on esports and communication skills, as well as social integration in traditional and electronic sports. Her work has been showcased at the 2022 International Congress on Multidisciplinary Approaches in Sports and Social Sciences and is scheduled for publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal in December 2024.
Club & Federation Experience
Nergiz currently serves as the Administrative Manager of the Beşiktaş JK Women’s Football Team, where she contributes to player operations, logistics, matchday coordination, and long-term planning. Prior to joining Beşiktaş, she held the role of Team Administrator for Trabzonspor’s Women’s Football Team, helping to shape the early structure of the club’s women’s football department from December 2021 to June 2022.
Her earlier experiences include internships and assistant roles at institutions such as the Turkish Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Kocaeli University, offering her exposure to administrative procedures and youth development initiatives at various levels.
Content & Editorial Work
In addition to her club roles, Nergiz has also contributed to Turkish sports media as a Content Editor at Sporosfer, where she published analytical pieces on the governance and legal structure of the Turkish Football Federation, particularly emphasizing transparency and centralization. One of her widely circulated pieces, titled “Bir Tiranlık Örneği: TFF’nin Hukuki İşleyişi ve Yönetim Yapılanması,” critiques the federation’s internal processes and was published during her editorial tenure in 2021.
Certifications & Professional Development
She has completed several key industry trainings and certificates, including:
- TFF Women’s Football Strategy Meeting (2024)
- DoublePass Football Academy Project (2024)
- Sports Law Program – Istanbul Bar Association
- Sport Management and Event Marketing – Sport Center Academy
- Social Media in Professional Life – Sports Center Academy
- Sport Management Academy – TÜGVA (2018)
Refereeing & Volunteering
Between 2016 and 2019, Nergiz was a licensed football referee under the Turkish Football Federation, reflecting her firsthand knowledge of the game’s technical and regulatory side. She has also been an active participant in volunteering symposia and civic sports initiatives, reinforcing her commitment to grassroots sports and inclusive development.
Our Exclusive Interview with Nergiz Bulut
Who is Nergiz Bulut outside of football?
I was born in 1998 in Istanbul. I was a girl growing up in a house where football was always talked about and followed, with two older brothers. I think I’ve always felt that football was the sport that brought me the most joy and captured my interest the most. That’s why I focused on football and football management throughout my undergraduate and graduate education. Since 2021, I’ve been actively involved in football management.
I love football, winning in football, and learning while losing. But I know this is my profession, my job, and I frequently remind myself not to become completely consumed by it, to diversify my life outside of football. I care about reading and making time to read. I’m interested in art forms like literature, painting, and music.
I have a curious and questioning personality. I love learning new things and engaging with different fields. My interest in art both inspires and nourishes me. I’m also someone who never gets tired of discovering Istanbul. Amid the flow of daily life, while advancing in my job without losing myself, I try to live a life where I also transform and develop myself by touching on areas beyond football.
In short, Nergiz is someone who can keep up with the pace on the pitch but doesn’t neglect her inner world and truly enjoys living life this way.
What values or philosophies shape your leadership approach in club management and football governance?
I try to integrate being a good and fair person into every part of my life. I often remind myself not to judge when listening to people, to try to understand why someone is following a certain idea, and to consider what in their life and thought shaped that stance.
I constantly remind myself that my colleagues can do their jobs best within their fields because they are the experts, and I take great pleasure in seeing a collective and strong result in the end.
Follow-up and accountability are among the most important criteria for me. I believe that someone who values their work will be sensitive about it. At the same time, I believe that being harmonious and tolerant is extremely important in team-based work, especially in emotionally intense sectors like football. I strive to adhere to these values in my professional life as well.
How do you stay focused on long-term development while navigating the daily demands of working in top-flight women’s football?
This may be the most challenging area for us. Daily tasks often require serious time and energy. However, for the mission we created for Beşiktaş JK Women’s Football Team to truly take root and for our long-term goals to be realized, we need to act not only with today in mind but also with a vision for tomorrow.
As of May 2025, when we finished our league season, we’ve been working even harder than we did during the season to prepare for the new one. We evaluate our shortcomings, determine areas for improvement, and take new steps accordingly.
Additionally, to achieve lasting, economic, and sustainable results in the long term, we place great importance on our youth development. We don’t only focus on the First Team, but also address the needs of the academy players and try to build a strong foundation for them too.
Who has been the most influential figure in your personal or professional journey so far?
One of the most influential people in my personal journey is Prof. Dr. Zekiye Başaran from Kocaeli University’s Faculty of Sports Sciences. My curiosity about life and my profession, my desire to research, and my questioning nature were largely shaped by her guidance. She contributed greatly to me not only academically but also in how I view life.
In my professional life, I always had the support of my former Administrative Director Hasan Sarıgül, with whom I worked shoulder to shoulder for three years and overcame every challenge. Working with Mr. Hasan gave you a sense of confidence that you could overcome any difficulty, no matter how hard it seemed. Our former Sporting Director Olgay Kızılkaplan, with his energy and resilient character, taught me not only work discipline but also many things about life.
The former Board Member of Beşiktaş Football Inc. responsible for Women’s Football, Fırat Fidan, with his visionary approach, gave me the chance to view women’s football from a broader and different perspective. Thanks to him, I learned to evaluate many things from a much wider framework.
And of course, my mother, father, and brothers, with the justice and compassion they embody and the love they carry, raised me, and I’ve always felt incredibly lucky because of that.
Whatever I do today, whatever values I hold on to, all of them are rooted in the influence of these people. I’m endlessly grateful to each of them for transforming and improving me.
What kind of books, topics, or areas do you enjoy exploring in your free time?
I’m very interested in literature and poetry. I especially enjoy reading the complete works of Late Ottoman–Early Republican Era authors. It’s hard for me to put into words how important Yaşar Kemal is in shaping my outlook on life. Experiencing Istanbul through the eyes of Orhan Veli is also a unique pleasure for me. During stressful times, books are the most effective way for me to relax. I believe reading heals me mentally. Zülfü Livaneli has a quote that sums this up beautifully: “A person who reads rests their back on the mind of the world.” That’s exactly how I feel.
Besides that, I follow French and Iranian cinema and am interested in art films. I especially see a strong resemblance between the cinematic language of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami and the styles of Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Ercan Kesal, and I greatly admire it. I think stories from this region feel more familiar and close to me, which is why I’m more affected and find them more intriguing.
On my days off, I enjoy spending time reading and watching films, discovering Istanbul, exercising, or simply having a fulfilling day with close friends.
What does a typical in-season workday look like for you at Beşiktaş?
This depends on our match schedule and what stage of the season we’re in. I usually work in our office in Fulya. At the start of each week, if we have a home match, I organize safety, private security, protocol arrangements, and medical precautions. If there’s an issue related to the stadium, I deal with it. I also take care of any missing parts of the matchday operations.
If it’s an away game, I handle everything from accommodation to flights, city transportation, and security measures. During transfer windows, I prepare offers for players, manage contract processes, and if the player is international, I handle ITC procedures. If the player is domestic, I take care of the TFF’s internal transfer processes.
In addition, I manage player accommodation, insurance, and health issues, as well as residence permits for foreign players, and direct them to relevant club departments when needed. I follow up on internal club and Turkish Football Federation documentation and assist with the needs of our technical, administrative, and medical teams. If the mid-season break is approaching, I organize the training camp.
While our team is training at the Fulya facilities, I coordinate all these and similar tasks from our administrative office.
