Vahap Özaltay

Vahap Özaltay (1908 – 10 June 1965) was a Turkish footballer[1] and track and field athlete.[2]

Vahap Özaltay
Personal information
Date of birth 1908
Place of birth Beirut, Ottoman Empire
Date of death 10 June 1965
Place of death İzmir, Turkey
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1922–1923 Altay
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1923–1931 Altay
1932–1937 Racing Club de Paris
National team
1930–1937 Turkey
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He is most notably for his service at Altay S.K., being the first professional football player in Turkey and being the first Turkish player to ever play for a foreign club.[3] He chose his last name based on his love for Altay (lit. "Pure/Real Altay").[3]

Özaltay was born in 1908 in Beirut. He was the son of a civil servant. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Aydın. Shortly after the Greek Occupation of İzmir on 21 May 1919, his family moved to Kastamonu. He started his football career in Kastamonu.

Playing career

After the Greek presence ended on 8 September 1922, his family moved to İzmir. He was 14 years old when he started playing for Altay. He started playing in the main squad for Altay beginning in 1922. Altay was the leading Turkish football Club in Izmir. He won Izmir League with Altay on 5 occasions (1923–24, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31). His brother Saim also played for Altay along with him.

Özaltay was transferred to the French club Racing Club de Paris in 1932, becoming the first Turkish player to do so. He played in France for 5 seasons for Racing Club. Due to his head-made goals, he was nicknamed "Le Tête de Turc" in France.[1]

In 1937 he returned to Turkey and played for Altay again. This time he played for Altay as a professional football player. He is the first Turkish player given a professional football player certificate by the Turkish State.

He played for the Turkish National Team on four occasions becoming don the red and white jersey. However, three of these occasions were against the Soviet Union and these matches was not considered by as official games by the UEFA as Soviet Union was not recognised by the organization during the 1920s. His only official game for Turkey was in 1927 against Bulgaria.

Management

After his football career, he worked as a manager for Altay and for the national team of the military. He became famous as being the first manager to use the WM formation. With the national team he won the World Army Football tournament of 1954.

Personal life

Özaltay was married with 7 children.[4] Özaltay died due to an heart attack following his given speech at generalassembly of Altay S.K., on 10 June 1965.[5]

References
  1. Photograph and information (in Turkish), retrieved 25 May 2015
  2. "Türkiye'nin ilk profesyonel futbolcusu Vahap Özaltay". Milliyet (in Turkish). 3 May 1964. p. 12.
  3. Erten, Bağiş (20 August 2006). "Aurelio bahane, ırkçılık şahane (!)" (in Turkish). radikal.com.tr. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  4. "Metin, Futbolcuları Vazifeye Çağırıyor". Milliyet (in Turkish). 16 June 1965. p. 8. G.Saray ve milli takım kaptanı, hasılatı Özlatay'ın ailesine bırakılmak üzere şöhretlerden kurulu bir takımın Altay'la bir maç yapılmasını teklif etti.
  5. "Türk Sporunun Acı Kaybı: Vahap Özaltay". Milliyet (in Turkish). Izmir. 12 June 1965. p. 8. Önceki gün Altay kongresinde vefat eden ilk profesyonel futbolcumuz dün törenle toprağa verildi.
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