Coşkun Özari

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coşkun Özari (1931-) is a former Turkish football player and coach.

Born in 1931, Coşkun Özari joined Galatasaray as a very young student. After graduating from Galatasaray Lycee, he found himself in the Galatasaray starting line-up at the age of 17. The backbone of Galatasaray, as well as the national team defense for the next 13 years, Ozari was known for his hard tackling, but mild manners.

His leadership in defense led the team with Gündüz Kılıç as coach, Turgay Seren in goal and Metin Oktay upfront, to several championships and Turkish Cup victories.

Özari's career as a player ended early due to his desire to become a coach. In 1961, he attended a coaching seminar in England, led by legendary coach Walter Winterbottom. When he returned home, he became Galatasaray's assistant coach. And just three years later, he took over the head coach position from Kılıç and led the team to four championships.

When he was appointed national team coach, in 1965, he coached the team for 10 years. He ended his coaching career in 1986 and became a sportswriter. Today, he still writes on national team and Galatasaray issues.

Preceded by:
Kalman Mezsoly
Turkish national football team managers
1986-1987
Succeeded by:
Mustafa Denizli