Many frowned when Ilknur Kurtulus was appointed head coach of Nilüfer BSK in 2023 — the first woman to lead a team in the men’s Süper Lig, Türkiye’s top handball division. Two years later, Nilüfer won the domestic Super Cup and are on the brink of their best-ever international result in the EHF European Cup Men.

Time to meet Ilknur Kurtulus, the woman who leads a men’s team to success and becomes a role model for female coaches.