Özkan Sümer

Özkan Sümer — Biography

Özkan Sümer worked at Trabzonspor as a player, manager, president and education coordinator. He was one of the two head coaches of the side that became the first Anatolian club to win the Turkish championship, known as the "Black Sea Storm", sharing the post with Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı several times. He died on 22 December 2020 at the age of 80; he is remembered each year at his graveside on the anniversary of his death, and the press has also called him "the wise man of football".

Sümer started out at his hometown club and, after spells at Kardemir Karabükspor and Akçaabat Sebatspor, returned to Trabzonspor, where his height and hard, stubborn play earned him the nickname "Deve" (camel). After retiring he worked as an assistant at the TFF, coached Konyaspor in 1977-78, and then trained Trabzonspor's youth and amateur sides. In 1978 he took charge of the first team, and the club won the league in 1978-79 and 1980-81. He was appointed Turkey national team manager in 1981 and Galatasaray manager in 1982-83, later returned to Trabzonspor, and also coached Denizlispor, Samsunspor and Mobellaspor.

In 2001 he was elected Trabzonspor president, succeeding Mehmet Ali Yılmaz, and the club won the Turkish Cup in 2002-03. On 5 September 2003 he resigned in protest at the lifting of a stadium-closure penalty imposed on Fenerbahçe. From 2006 he worked as a regional and education coordinator, and in 2007 he co-founded the club's women's football team with Zeliha Şimşek; it won the league the very next season.