Adnan Sezgin

Adnan Sezgin — Biography

Adnan Sezgin is a figure in Turkish football who was first a defender and then an administrator and businessman, and he is also known as the first president of the Professional Footballers' Association. He served Galatasaray as sporting director and as head of the transfer committee, and he is now president of the DEİK Turkey-Hungary Business Council.

A graduate of Ankara University's Faculty of Political Science, Sezgin began his professional football career at Petrol Ofisi. He then won the 1976-77 First League title with MKE Ankaragücü, also played for Adana Demirspor, and ended his career in the United States with San Jose Earthquakes. After retiring in 1983 he lived in America until 1990. Back in Turkey he worked at the Turkish Football Federation between 1990 and 1992, and from 1992 to 2006 he held executive posts at Galatasaray, İstanbulspor and Etimesgut Şekerspor. At Galatasaray he sat on the football committee, was made general manager of the club's marketing company in the mid-2000s and then sporting director. In 2010-11 he headed the transfer committee, and he resigned on 3 March 2011. On 26 August 2011 he became Samsunspor's general coordinator, a post that ended on 30 January 2012.

Outside football he moved into business. In 2022 he was elected president of the DEİK Turkey-Hungary Business Council, and in 2024 he received an honour from Hungary.