Kostas Kasapoğlu

Kostas Kasapoğlu — Biography

Kostas Kasapoğlu, also known as Koço and Yorgo, was a Turkish footballer and coach of Greek descent. His name became bound up with İstanbulspor: he is the club's record holder for Süper Lig appearances (329) and goals (59). He entered football history for his composure from the penalty spot and the nickname "Penaltı Kralı" (Penalty King); he is said to have missed only one of the 501 penalties he took.

Born in Büyükada, he began in 1950 at the island's amateur club Adalarspor. In 1953 he joined the Beyoğluspor youth side, was promoted to the first team in 1954 after coach Cihat Arman rated him ready, and played his first official match against Galatasaray on 30 October 1954. He moved to İstanbulspor in 1956 and played there for 15 seasons, regarded as one of the club's most memorable captains, and won the Spor Toto Cup in 1970-71. He spent 1972-73 at Taksim as a player-coach.

His international career was short: on 25 November 1956 he came on for Kadri Aytaç in a 1-1 friendly with Czechoslovakia, his only senior cap, and in 1957 he started for the Turkey A2 side against Spain B. He emigrated to Greece in 1975, later partly resettling in Istanbul again; in Greece he was for a time a representative of the Serres independent farmers' association. He died on 5 April 2016 aged 80, and is remembered at his grave on the anniversaries of his death.