Sanlı Sarıalioğlu

Sanlı Sarıalioğlu — Biography

Sanlı Sarıalioğlu is a former international forward who spent his whole football career at Beşiktaş and captained the side from 1968 to 1975. Known for his ball control, he scored 66 goals in 315 league games, which places him among the club's leaders both in appearances and in goals, and he was named in the Golden Team of Beşiktaş's squads of the century. Today he is a sports columnist and television pundit.

He attended Kabataş Boys High School, began in Beşiktaş's youth team and wore no other shirt until he retired in 1975. With the club he won the league in 1966 and 1967 and the Turkish Cup in 1975, and he was in the squads that took the Presidential Cup in 1967 and 1974 and the Prime Minister's Cup in 1974.

His international path began on 6 November 1963 with Turkey U18 against Israel, and he was called up 12 times at under-21 level. He won his first senior cap at 19 and played 21 senior matches between 1964 and 1971, scoring twice in friendlies against Pakistan, and he was part of the squads that won the RCD Cup in 1967 and 1969. After retiring he worked as a coach and agent, held posts at Beşiktaş from time to time, and moved into sports writing, with a column in the daily Yeni Şafak.