Ziya Doğan

Ziya Doğan — Biography

Ziya Doğan is remembered as the midfielder whose two goals in the last match of the 1982 season carried Beşiktaş to the league title, and later as the coach who won the Turkish Cup with Trabzonspor. His full name is Ziyaeddin Doğan. In 2026 he was still giving his views on Trabzonspor and the national team to sports outlets.

He came up through Beşiktaş's youth system and joined the first team in 1978. Training on the dirt pitch of Şeref Stadium cured his weakness at heading, and he became known for diving headers. Though a midfielder he was a natural scorer, with 38 league goals in 194 matches over nine seasons. His two goals against Eskişehirspor in the last match of 1982 ended Beşiktaş's long wait for a championship, and his goal in a 4-2 extra-time cup win over Fenerbahçe is also remembered. He won a second league title with Beşiktaş in 1986, moved to MKE Ankaragücü in 1987 and to Kocaelispor in 1990, and retired at Zeytinburnuspor. He won three caps for Turkey's under-19 side.

He prepared for coaching by spending seven years at İstanbulspor alongside world-famous coaches. He kept Adanaspor, 17th with five weeks left, in the league, assisted Nevio Scala at Beşiktaş, and in 2001-02 kept bottom-placed Malatyaspor up. With Trabzonspor he won the Turkish Cup in 2004 and finished second in the league, earning a Champions League place; he also lifted Gençlerbirliği from 13th to 5th. He returned to Trabzonspor in 2006 and later managed Diyarbakırspor, Konyaspor (whom he took up to the Süper Lig), MKE Ankaragücü, Orduspor and Kastamonuspor 1966.