Necati Özçağlayan

Necati Özçağlayan — Biography

Necati Özçağlayan is a retired Turkish footballer and coach, born on 15 May 1953 in Trabzon. A one-club man, he spent his entire playing career with Trabzonspor between 1972 and 1986, patrolling the backline as a stopper and libero. He was part of the squad for all six Süper Lig titles in the club's history, one of only three players — alongside Şenol Güneş and Turgay Semercioğlu — to have featured in every one of Trabzonspor's championship-winning seasons.

Despite a reserved personality that kept him out of the spotlight, he is widely regarded by fans and pundits as one of the finest defenders in both Trabzonspor's and Turkish football's history, and he played a key role in the club becoming the first Anatolian side to win the national championship.

After retiring as a player, Özçağlayan moved into coaching, taking charge of several of Turkey's youth national teams over the years, and later served as coordinator of Trabzonspor's football schools.