Can Bartu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Can Bartu (born on January 30, 1936 in İstanbul), is a former Turkish basketball and football player. He is currently a sports journalist.

He started to play basketball for Fenerbahçe and was a six-time international representative with the Turkey national basketball team. He was invited by the football coach Fikret Arıcan to play football beside basketball. On January 25, 1957, Bartu played football for his club against Beyoğluspor. He scored two goals and assisted for two more. He helped so his team won 4-0. Then, that evening, Bartu played basketball for Fenerbahçe, scoring 10 points. He helped his club win 44-43 shooting a goal three seconds before the finish. Bartu switched then over to football in his club. He played 26 times for the national football team.

In 1961, Bartu transferred to ACF Fiorentina in Italy. Later, he played for Venezia A.C. in 1962 and for S.S. Lazio in 1964. He is the first ever Turkish footballer, who played a final game and also won it in the European Cup with Fiorentina against Glasgow Rangers on January 1, 1961 He was nicknamed "Signor" by the Italians due to his technique and gentile on the playground and because of his chic outfits worn off field.

After successful seasons in Italy, Bartu returned to Turkey in 1967 to play in his former club Fenerbahçe for more three years. Bartu played 326 games with Fenerbahçe and scored 162 goals. He became four-time league champion in 1959, 1961, 1968 and 1970 with Fenerbahçe.

He retired from active sport in 1970. Bartu is today a sports journalist writing for the newspaper Hurriyet.

Nowadays he also takes part on a national TV channel in Turkey as a commentator. He is considered one of the best commentators in Turkish media.

In other languages