Sakıp Özberk

Sakıp Özberk — Biography

Mehmet Sakıp Özberk was born on May 1, 1945, in Gaziantep; he started in the youth ranks of Mekikspor and, after his first professional contract with Reyhanlıspor, caught the eye of Ankaragücü and moved there for the 1966-67 season. After relegation in 1967-68 he spent a season in the 1. Lig, then won the 1968-69 1. Lig title and the 1971-72 Türkiye Kupası with Ankaragücü; moving to Adana Demirspor in 1972-73, he won the 1. Lig title alongside teammate Fatih Terim in his first season, earning promotion, before closing his playing career with a few seasons at Gaziantepspor.

He moved into coaching in 1985 as the Turkish Football Federation's regional coach for southeastern Anatolia, then managed Siirt Köy Hizmetleri Spor (1987-88), Petrol Ofisi (1989-90) and, briefly, Samsunspor (2009-10); his greatest achievement was leading Gaziantepspor to third place in the league in 1999-2000. With club president Celal Doğan, he helped turn Gaziantepspor into one of Turkish football's established institutions, a legacy honored with the 2020 opening of the Sakıp Özberk Spor Kompleksi in the city.

He died on August 15, 2023, at 78, after falling ill while swimming near his summer home in the Arsuz district of Hatay -- reported by some outlets as drowning, by others as a heart attack.