Vahap Özaltay
Encyclopedia
Vahap Özaltay was a Turkish
footballer, notable for his career at Altay S.K., being the first professional football player in Turkey, being the first Turkish player to ever play for a foreign club,. He chose his last name based on his love for Altay (lit. "Pure/Real Altay").
Özaltay was born in 1908 in Istanbul
. He was the son of a civil servant. When he was 10 years old his family moved to Aydin
. Shortly after the Greek
Occupation of Izmir
on 21 May 1919, his family moved to Kastamonu
. He started his football career in Kastamonu.
. He was 14 years old when he started playing for Altay. He started playing in the main squad for Altay beginning in 1922. Altay was the leading Turkish football Club in Izmir. He won Izmir League with Altay on 5 occasions (1923–24, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31). His brother Saim also played for Altay along with him.
Özaltay was transferred to the French club Racing Club de Paris in 1932, becoming the first Turkish player to do so. He played in France for 5 seasons for Racing Club.
In 1937 he returned to Turkey and played for Altay again. This time he played for Altay as a professional football player. He is the first Turkish player given a professional football player certificate by Turkish State.
He played for the Turkish National Team on four occasions becoming don the red and white jersey. However, three of these occasions were against the Soviet Union
and these matches was not considered by as official games by the UEFA
as Soviet Union was not recognised by the organization during the 1920s. His only official game for Turkey was in 1927 against Bulgaria.
in his honour which was sculpted by Can Şen.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
footballer, notable for his career at Altay S.K., being the first professional football player in Turkey, being the first Turkish player to ever play for a foreign club,. He chose his last name based on his love for Altay (lit. "Pure/Real Altay").
Özaltay was born in 1908 in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. He was the son of a civil servant. When he was 10 years old his family moved to Aydin
Aydin
Aydın is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of Büyük Menderes River at a commanding position for the region extending from the uplands of the valley down to the seacoast...
. Shortly after the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Occupation of Izmir
Occupation of Izmir
The Occupation of Smyrna occurred from 15 May 1919 to 8 September 1922 by Greek forces under the High Commissioner Aristidis Stergiadis in the Smyrna district, aligned with the Allied partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. There were no military hostilities between Greece and the Ottoman Empire...
on 21 May 1919, his family moved to Kastamonu
Kastamonu
Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
. He started his football career in Kastamonu.
Playing career
After the Greek presence ended on 8 September 1922, his family moved to IzmirIzmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. He was 14 years old when he started playing for Altay. He started playing in the main squad for Altay beginning in 1922. Altay was the leading Turkish football Club in Izmir. He won Izmir League with Altay on 5 occasions (1923–24, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31). His brother Saim also played for Altay along with him.
Özaltay was transferred to the French club Racing Club de Paris in 1932, becoming the first Turkish player to do so. He played in France for 5 seasons for Racing Club.
In 1937 he returned to Turkey and played for Altay again. This time he played for Altay as a professional football player. He is the first Turkish player given a professional football player certificate by Turkish State.
He played for the Turkish National Team on four occasions becoming don the red and white jersey. However, three of these occasions were against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and these matches was not considered by as official games by the UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
as Soviet Union was not recognised by the organization during the 1920s. His only official game for Turkey was in 1927 against Bulgaria.
Management
After his football career, he worked as a manager for Altay and for the national team of the military. He became famous as being the first manager to use the WM formation. With the national team he won the World Army Football tournament of 1954.Death
Özaltay died while given a speech at Altay Sport Club’s general congress in 1965. Altay SK erected his bust at Izmir's Alsancak SquareAlsancak
Alsancak is a centrally situated large quarter in İzmir, Turkey, within the boundaries of the metropolitan district of Konak, the historic center of the city....
in his honour which was sculpted by Can Şen.