Rıdvan Bolatlı

Rıdvan Bolatlı — Biography

Rıdvan Bolatlı was a defender who was part of one of Turkey's first World Cup squads and spent much of his club career at Ankaragücü. A player of the 1950s generation of Turkish football, he made his name above all with the national squad that took part in the 1954 FIFA World Cup finals, where he played in three matches.

Born in Ankara, he wore the shirt of MKE Ankaragücü at club level; that spell began in the 1950s, and 1952-1954 was the period he is best remembered for. He played for the national side eight times in all: six for the senior team and two for the Turkey amateur team. Besides the World Cup, he also took the field for Turkey at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.

Bolatlı died on 31 March 2022 in Ankara, the city where he was born; the news of his death was widely covered in the Turkish press as that of a former A national team player.