By Muhammed Enes Calli
ANKARA (AA) - Saturday marked the first death anniversary of the legendary Turkish footballer Can Bartu.
Considered one of the greatest football talents in Turkish football, Bartu left his mark on the history of Fenerbahce and Turkey’s national team with his pure skills on the pitch.
He was born on Jan. 30, 1936 in Istanbul, and began his sports career as a basketball player for Fenerbahce’s youth team and picked up five Turkish caps for the senior national team before switching to football.
On the pitch, he built an exceptional career during 1960s, representing Turkish football abroad and playing for Italian football teams.
He made appearances for Fenerbahce football and basketball teams between 1955 and 1957 and even once played in matches of both branches on the same day.
Before moving to Italy's Fiorentina in 1961, Bartu played for Fenerbahce football team for six years in his first term with the Istanbul club.
He joined Fiorentina and played for two more Italian teams, Venezia and Lazio, having an unusual career for any Turkish footballer outside the country during that time.
Bartu was nicknamed the "Signor", or Mr. in English, and became the first Turkish player appearing in a European cup final when Fiorentina played against Atletico Madrid in 1962.
- His legacy lives on Fenerbahce's training complex
He returned to Turkey in 1967 and played three seasons with Fenerbahce before ending his career in 1970.
Bartu scored 162 goals in 330 matches for the Yellow Canaries and had six goals in 26 games for the national team.
Following his retirement, he worked as a sports writer and a football analyst for several television shows.
Fenerbahce released a statement for the first anniversary of Bartu's death on their website.
"We respectfully remember our legendary player Can Bartu, who has a very important place in the history of our club, and was identified with Fenerbahce where he played in the years of 1956-1961 and 1967-1970," they said.
Bartu was remembered as a legendary player in the Turkish football history, being the only athlete to represent his country in football and basketball at the senior level.
His outstanding talent was combined with a leadership on the pitch, making him a Fenerbahce legend. In 2009, Fenerbahce named the club's training complex as Fenerbahce Can Bartu Facilities to pay tribute to the club legend.
European football's governing body UEFA named Can Bartu the 2009 UEFA Cup final ambassador as the final match was played in Fenerbahce's home ground, Ulker Stadium.
Bartu died on April 11, 2019 at the age of 83.