Metin Oktay

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Lore & Background

Oktay's hero status among Galatasaray supporters was fixed in December 1960 when he scored four goals (after 1, 9, 61 and 71 minutes) in a 5–0 victory against arch rivals Fenerbahçe. He was a particularly strong goal scorer in Derby matches. During a Derby match against Galatasaray's archrivals Fenerbahçe in 1959, he hit the ball hard enough to open a hole in the opponents' goal net. This unforgettable shot was one of the 18 goals that Oktay scored against Fenerbahçe in his career. The other major Istanbul rivals, Beşiktaş let in 13 of his goals. Songs were created for him and he became the first-ever Turkish footballer to play himself in a movie based on his life while actively pursuing his career.

In Their Own Story

In 1955, Gündüz Kılıç, trainer and former footballer of Galatasaray transferred Metin Oktay. Oktay, then only 19 years old, signed a five-year contract with Galatasaray in exchange for a Chevrolet car. Despite his young age, he was the top scorer in his first season in the Istanbul League, with 19 goals, and his team Galatasaray won the championship. Oktay was top scorer for four seasons in the İstanbul League and then three more in the Turkish League, thus making it seven consecutive years in the competitions he played in. He made a record-breaking contract with Galatasaray in 1960 and because of this deal he had to divorce his wife Oya Sarı who wanted him to play for his old club İzmirspor.

Reader's Guide

Metin Oktay stayed with Galatasaray until 1969, with the exception of a short period in 1961–1962, when he played for Palermo in Italy. He was the most crowned (six times) top goalscorer in the Turkish League and set a record with 217 goals in total. Tanju Çolak broke his record of most goals in a season in 1988 by a margin of one goal. Oktay was also assistant coach and head coach of Galatasaray football team in the 1969–70 season and he later coached Bursaspor for a couple of years. Oktay was a board member of the club in 1984 for two years. He played 36 times for the Turkey national team and scored 19 goals. Breaking almost every record in the history of Turkish football that stood at the time, the 'King' retired in 1969.

Did You Know?

• Metin Oktay was nicknamed the 'Crownless King' (Taçsız Kral) by Galatasaray fans.
• He scored four goals in a 5–0 victory against arch rivals Fenerbahçe in December 1960.
• During a 1959 derby against Fenerbahçe, he hit the ball hard enough to open a hole in the opponents' goal net.
• He became the first-ever Turkish footballer to play himself in a movie based on his life while actively pursuing his career.
• Oktay died on 13 September 1991 in Istanbul as a result of a traffic accident at the exit of the Bosphorus Bridge.