Serdar Tasci (; born 24 April 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. 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. 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. He was capped 14 times for Germany from 2008 to 2010, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, at which Germany came third. Club career VfB Stuttgart 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. 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. 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. Shortly after, Tasci signed a contract that ran until 2010 with the club. 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. 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