Can Bartu: One international, two sports

01

An international in two different games

Can Bartu occupies an unusual place in Turkish sporting history because football and basketball both belong to his senior competitive identity. His sporting life at Fenerbahçe began with basketball before Fikret Arıcan encouraged him to play football as well. UEFA’s career portrait recognises him as an international in both sports. That is more than enjoying a second game recreationally: he met the distinct demands of two team structures, two rhythms and two systems of decision-making. His basketball background should therefore remain visible inside the football biography. It also offers a concrete example of how a multi-sport club could open more than one route for a developing athlete.

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02

Italy and the 1962 European final

Bartu moved to Fiorentina in 1961 and also represented Venezia and Lazio during his Italian years. On 10 May 1962 he appeared against Atlético Madrid in the Cup Winners’ Cup final, becoming the first Turkish footballer to play in a major European club final. The first match in Glasgow finished 1–1. By the time the replay took place months later, he had been loaned to Venezia; the two matches should not be treated as identical episodes in his career. His return to Fenerbahçe in 1967 brought that overseas experience back to İstanbul. The enduring nickname Sinyor remains the most recognisable expression of his Italian connection.

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03

Touch, movement and seeing teammates

UEFA describes Bartu as a technically gifted midfielder with excellent touch who could operate on either wing. Attacking midfield and wide positions demand awareness of the ball, defenders and teammates at the same time. There is a useful comparison with basketball’s passing angles and use of space, although it would be too simple to claim that every skill transfers automatically between sports. What makes Bartu distinctive is that he competed in both worlds. His career demonstrates that sporting education concerns more than repeating an isolated movement: recognising changing situations and choosing an action that helps the team are essential parts of the performance.

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04

Club memory and a European ambassador

Bartu’s appearance in Galatasaray colours during the shirt exchange at Metin Oktay’s 1969 testimonial remains a memorable gesture of respect between rivals. After playing, journalism and television commentary kept him involved in the public conversation about football. UEFA selected him as ambassador for the 2009 UEFA Cup final in İstanbul, reconnecting his European playing history with the city’s sporting culture. Bartu died on 11 April 2019. His legacy thus includes the basketball court, a continental football final, Fenerbahçe’s identity and the later work of interpreting sport for an audience. Each chapter shows a different way in which an athlete can contribute to a game’s shared life.

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Bjelica, 24 August 2023: Fenerbahçe’s Kadıköy stadium at the FC Twente match. This supplies club and venue context, not Can Bartu’s portrait or the ground during his playing career. Resized Commons version; no additional crop. Bjelica / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

An international in two different games

Italy and the 1962 European final

Touch, movement and seeing teammates

Club memory and a European ambassador

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At a glance

An international in two different games

Italy and the 1962 European final

Touch, movement and seeing teammates

Club memory and a European ambassador

More stories in this discipline

Alperen Şengün

Arda Güler

Cedi Osman

Ersan İlyasova