Quick Facts
Biography
Berkay Tolga Dabanlı (born 27 June 1990) is a Turkish-German footballer who plays as a defender for Eskişehirspor.
He was born and raised in Germany and played until he was 18 for smaller clubs in and around his home town Frankfurt am Main. In 2008 however he managed to join 2. Bundesliga club FSV Frankfurt, the second most important club in Frankfurt. There he stayed two years and became a regular for the second team during his second season. In an interview Dabanlı revealed that he got in fact an offer by Eintracht Frankfurt, the leading club in Frankfurt, but his parents did not admit a move to such a big club since they wanted him to focus on school and to finally attain Abitur.
In 2010 he attracted the attention of Bayer Leverkusen, an UEFA Champions League regular for Germany. But also there he did not get beyond the second team. Subsequently, although having had offers by 2. Bundesliga clubs, he made a move to Turkey, the homeland of his ancestors, and played from July 2011 to December 2012 for Kayserispor in the Süper Lig. For them he also made his Süper Lig debut on 24 February 2012.
In January 2013 he signed a half year contract at Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg, which was later extended until June 2015.