Gürsel Aksel

Gürsel Aksel — Biography

Gürsel Aksel (10 May 1937 – 13 October 1978) was a Turkish footballer and manager, remembered by the nickname "Büyük Kaptan" ("The Great Captain").

He spent his entire professional career, from 1955 to 1972, at Göztepe of İzmir, where he became the club's record appearance holder with 390 league matches and one of its all-time leading scorers. He was capped three times by the Turkey national team and, after retiring, worked briefly as a manager.

He died in Rize in 1978 at the age of 41. His legacy endures at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium in İzmir, the home ground of Göztepe that bears his name.