Özcan Arkoç

Özcan Arkoç — Biography

Özcan Arkoç (2 October 1939 – 17 February 2021) was a Turkish football goalkeeper and coach. Born in Hayrabolu, he began his career at Vefa in Istanbul and went on to play for Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, winning league championships with Fenerbahçe as the youngest goalkeeper ever to claim the Süper Lig title.

After a spell with Austria Wien he joined Hamburger SV in 1967 and remained the club's first-choice goalkeeper until 1974, becoming the first Turkish goalkeeper in the Bundesliga. The kicker sports magazine rated him HSV's top player in three seasons, and in 1973 he was part of the side that won the inaugural German League Cup. He earned nine caps for Turkey between 1958 and 1965, making his debut against Belgium on 28 October 1958.

After retiring, Arkoç served as assistant coach at HSV in 1976–77 and then succeeded Rudi Gutendorf as head coach, becoming the first Turkish coach in Bundesliga history. He later managed second-division sides Wormatia Worms and Holstein Kiel before returning to Turkey. He died in Hamburg in February 2021, aged 81.