Serdar Tasci

Serdar Tasci (Serdar Taşçı; born 24 April 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Before the 2005–06 season, he joined Stuttgart's second team, playing in the Regionalliga (third division), after helping the VfB to win the German B-Junior Championship (2004) and German A-Junior Championship (2005) ahead of his senior career.

Tasci started his career with VfB Stuttgart in 2006, playing with the club until 2013; captaining the side from 2011; making 181 senior appearances; and helping VfB win the 2006–07 Bundesliga.

Ahead of the 2006–07 season, Tasci was promoted to the club's Bundesliga side.

After being included as an unused substitute in a match against 1. FC Nürnberg, Tasci had his professional debut against Arminia Bielefeld on 20 August 2006; the match—the second of the season—was a 3–2 win in which Tasci was substituted for injured Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson in the 68th minute.

His first goal followed a week later in a game against Borussia Dortmund in a 1–3 defeat.

His second goal of the season came on 29 October 2006, in a 3–0 win over Schalke 04.

Throughout the 2006–07 season, Tasci received a handful of first team appearances, playing in either the right–back and centre–back positions for the side.

At the end of the 2006–07 season, Tasci had made thirty–one appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.

However, he was soon plagued with suspension following his sending–off, in a 4–1 loss against 1. FC Nürnberg on 27 January 2007 and injuries.

Despite this, Tasci helped VfB Stuttgart beat Energie Cottbus to win 2–1 and claim their first Bundesliga title in 15 years in the last game of the season.

However, in the final of the DFB-Pokal, he came on for Sami Khedira in extra time when Stuttgart lost 3–2 to Nürnberg.

Reflecting about Tasci's season, Manager Armin Veh said of his involvement with the club: "He is a big surprise and with his 20 years plays well beyond his years."

In the 2007–08 season, Tasci made a strong performance against Schalke in the opening game; kicker described his performance as clever and cool.

He continued to regain his first team place for the side.

Tasci then made his Champions League debut on matchday one, as Stuttgart lost 2–1 to Rangers.

He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–1 loss against Hamburger SV on 20 October 2007.

At the end of the 2007–08 season, Tasci made twenty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions; most of which he missed were due to injuries.

He was capped 14 times for Germany from 2008 to 2010, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, at which Germany came third.

Tasci was born in Esslingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to Turkish parents from Artvin.

He started playing football when he was six; he then played for the youth teams of SC Altbach, Stuttgarter Kickers and VfB Stuttgart.

In the 2008–09 season, Tasci was paired with Khalid Boulahrouz in the centre-back position at the start of the season.

In the qualification round of the UEFA Cup against Hungarian side Győri ETO, he scored his first European goal in a 2–1 victory, taking his club to the next round.

In December 2008, his manager and mentor Armin Veh was sacked following the club's run of defeats.

As a result, he was required to have surgery but decided not to have it, ending his 2008–09 season.

At the end of the 2008–09 season, Tasci went on to make forty appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.

On 4 April 2009, Tasci scored his first league goal of the season in a 2–1 win over VfL Bochum.

He missed the rest of the season after injuring his knee in a 2–0 loss against Eintracht Frankfurt on 25 April 2009.

At the start of the 2009–10 season, Tasci made his return to the first team from injury, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 loss against VfL Wolfsburg.

In a follow–up match against SC Freiburg, Tasci captained the side for the first time, as he helped Stuttgart beat them 4–2.

On 29 August 2009, Tasci extended his contract with Stuttgart until the summer of 2014.

As a result, buy-out clause was included as part of signing a new contract.

It came after when Tasci was in a contract negotiation with the club.

In his first half of the season, Tasci captained two more matches in the absence of Thomas Hitzlsperger.

He scored his first Champions League goal as Stuttgart drew 1–1 with Romanian side Unirea Urziceni in the group stage matchday two on 29 September 2009.

By November, however, he sustained "a stress fracture in his foot" that could have put him out for the remainder of the season.

Shortly after, Tasci signed a contract that ran until 2010 with the club.

An injury in his first season at new club, Spartak Moscow, kept him out of action for a large part of the 2013–14 season.

But he recovered after a few weeks and returned to the first team against Bayer Leverkusen on 29 November 2018, which was then followed–up by scoring his first goal of the Bundesliga season, in a 1–1 draw against VfL Bochum.

Following Hitzlsperger removal of captaincy, Tasci was reportedly furious over not being chosen as a vice-captain.