Selim Soydan

Selim Soydan — Biography

Eşref Selim Soydan was born on 15 November 1941 in Istanbul and is a former Turkish international footballer who played as a defender for the rival clubs Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe. After retiring from football, he worked as a sports administrator and newspaper columnist and served on the board of the Turkish Football Federation. He ended his playing career on 25 August 1971, at age 29, with a farewell match between Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş held in his honor.

Soydan married actress Hülya Koçyiğit on 5 July 1968, and the couple went on to found Gülşah Film, a production company through which he produced and distributed dozens of movies and television films from the 1970s into the 2000s.

In 2026 he spoke publicly about once having wanted to bring coach Fatih Terim to Fenerbahçe, and he and Koçyiğit continue to draw media attention, including around their marriage of more than 58 years.