Deniz Undav's Spectacular Season: Stuttgart's Kurdish-Yazidi Star Chas

At 5:30 PM Central European Time today, Deniz Undav will walk onto the MHPArena pitch in Stuttgart to face Hamburger SV. It will be another chapter in the most remarkable season of a career that was never supposed to happen. Undav, 29 years old, has scored 18 Bundesliga goals and provided 5 assists in 24 appearances this season. He leads Stuttgart's scoring charts by a wide margin. And he is doing it while being one of the most outspoken Kurdish athletes in European sports.

The Hat-Trick That Shook Dortmund

On April 4, Stuttgart trailed Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home. Undav scored in the 47th minute. Then again in the 71st. Then a stoppage-time equalizer to complete a hat-trick and earn a 3-3 draw.

Before that, he scored against RB Leipzig (1-0 win), Mainz (2-2 draw), and Augsburg (5-2 win). In total: six goals in his last three Bundesliga games.

Stuttgart are 4th in the Bundesliga with 53 points, level with RB Leipzig (3rd) and three points ahead of Hoffenheim (5th). A top-four finish means Champions League football next season.

From Rejection to the National Team

Undav's story defies every expectation. He joined Werder Bremen's youth department but was released after five years due to his lack of height (176 cm / 5'9"). He dropped to Germany's fourth division. Then third. Then he went to Belgium, where he became the league's top scorer and was named Footballer of the Year. Brighton signed him for EUR7 million. Stuttgart got him permanently for EUR30 million.

On February 14, 2026, Undav made his 100th competitive game for Stuttgart, scoring in a 3-1 win over Koln, his 48th goal for VfB.

Last May, he helped Stuttgart win the DFB Pokal (German Cup) for the first time since 1997. His goal was followed by a traditional Kurdish dance, a gesture that electrified Kurdish social media.

Who are the Yazidi Kurds?

The Yazidis (Ezidi) are a Kurdish ethno-religious community whose faith combines elements of Zoroastrianism, early Mesopotamian religions, and Islam. They have faced centuries of persecution, including a genocide by ISIS in 2014 in Sengal (Sinjar). Many Yazidis from Bakur (Northern Kurdistan) migrated to Germany after the 1980 Turkish military coup. Germany is now home to the world's largest Yazidi diaspora, estimated at over 200,000 people. Undav's family is from the village of Isikli in Viransehir, Riha (Urfa) province.

Racist Abuse and Defiance

In October 2025, during a Europa League match in Istanbul, the abuse reached a new level. Sections of the crowd at Fenerbahce's stadium hurled racist and personal insults throughout the match. He was called "terrorist," "traitor," and "nationless dog." Posts featuring the Grey Wolves wolf emoji flooded his social media accounts.

The abuse was documented by the Information Center against Anti-Kurdish Racism (IAKR) and the Central Council for Human Rights of Kurds in Germany (ZMRK), who called it "a new peak" in a hate campaign.

The Hakkari Bar Association in Bakur (Northern Kurdistan) filed a criminal complaint regarding the comments.

Undav's response was simple. He posted: "Feels good! Thanks for the incredible support over the past few days." And he kept scoring.

World Cup Ambitions

With 18 Bundesliga goals, a DFB Pokal title, and strong performances for the German national team, Undav is a serious candidate for Germany's World Cup squad this summer. Manager Julian Nagelsmann has previously called him up for competitive matches.

What Undav Represents

Deniz Undav is not just a footballer. He is a test case for Kurdish visibility in European sports. Every time he dances a Kurdish dance after a goal, every time he says "I am Kurdish" to a German microphone, every time he refuses to be labelled a "Turkish footballer," he challenges the structures that have tried to erase Kurdish identity for decades.

"I've always been proud of my roots. Every goal I score is for my people."