İsfendiyar Açıksöz

İsfendiyar Açıksöz — Biography

İsfendiyar Açıksöz, the son of Hüsnü Açıksöz, was a Galatasaray High School product who played right wing for Galatasaray in the 1950s and was known by the nickname "Serçe" (the Sparrow). He was regarded as the most famous right winger of his era and became closely associated with Galatasaray; after retiring as a player he worked as a coach and as a club official.

He began playing football at Galatasaray High School and joined the Galatasaray first team at 17. Together with Suat Mamat, Kadri Aytaç, Güngör Okay and Metin Oktay he formed an attacking line known in the club community and among the Turkish football public as the "legendary forward five", and he stood out in particular as Metin Oktay's provider of goals. He retired from playing at Galatasaray in 1960. He won 18 caps for the national team; in 1949 he finished second with the team at the Mediterranean Cup in Greece, and he was in the senior squad for the Turkey-Brazil match at İnönü Stadium on 1 May 1956.

He began coaching in 1961-62 at Şekerspor, was in charge of Sarıyer from the start of 1966-67 until the end of that season, and in 1967-68 served as player-manager at Orduspor. In the 1970s and 1980s he was a Galatasaray club official and remained a board member until his death. He died in Istanbul on 12 December 2006 and, after funeral prayers at Fatih Mosque, was buried at Feriköy Cemetery.