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Fatih Terim (head coach) then of Turkey national football team by Steindy (talk) –

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Fatih Terim

Nicknamed ‘the emperor’, Fatih Terim is a Turkish football/soccer former player and manager. He has managed some top clubs including Galatasaray, Fiorentina, and AC Milan. In international football, he has managed his home country’s side for several spells during his long career.

Terim was known for his impeccable and no-nonsense coaching. Much like most famous coaches, like Jose Mourinho, Terim had an inflated ego. He would often get into clashes with players, fellow coaches, and even journalists.

Despite being a good player, Terim never found much success during his playing years. However, his coaching career more than made up for his playing one.

He won 8 Süper Lig championships, 5 Turkish Super Cups, and 1 UEFA Cup victory during his coaching career. Only part of the reasons he is regarded as one of the best managers to grace the sport.

Below are some intriguing facts about ‘Grande Terim’ as he was referred to in Italy.

1. Played as A Defender

Fatih Terim began his professional football playing career at Turkish club Adana Demirspor. He played primarily as a sweeper or defender (center back).

At the time Terim was having financial troubles and for this, he was being paid secretly by the club. After three years at the club, he became the captain in 1972. He would spend two more years at the club before leaving for Galatasaray in 1974.

Terim would play at Galatasaray for 11 years. He never won the Turkish league championship trophy in his spell at the club.

2. Ended His Playing Career In 1985

After 11 years at Galatasaray, Terim finally hang up his boots in 1985. This was the same year that he retired from international football as well.

On international duty, Terim made 51 appearances for the Turkey national team between 1974 and 1985. Of these 51 matches, 35 of them were as the captain of the national team.

The end to Terim’s playing career was both shocking and anticlimactic. Terim received a red card in 1985 after arguing with the referee over sending his teammate home during a game. He decided to give up football after receiving a five-match suspension for the red-card offense.

3. He Had Several Legal Scuffles as A Player

police arrest handcuffs by 4711018 from

In 1977, Terim was arrested by the local police for raiding a casino. However, he managed to avoid charges due to the efforts of the club’s administration and the police. This was only one of his many scuffles.

In 1980, he got into a physical fight with police and security guards after a match. He was consequently arrested but his sentence was later commuted to a fine.

However, probably the lowest point of his career came in the 1982-83 season. This was after he heavily cursed at former teammate Erol Togay and beat his head and broke his tooth. The altercation began after Adana Demirspor lost 3-0 to lose the championship.

4. Began Coaching Career at Ankaragücü

Fatih Terim by Football.ua –

Shortly after retiring from professional football, he was appointed as a training coach at Galatasaray by Jupp Derwall. He remained at Galatasaray until he got his coaching badges.

His first coaching job began when he was appointed as coach of the Turkish club Ankaragücü. Terim was a coach here for 18 months (a season and a half). He then moved on to Izmir where he became the coach of Göztepe.

5. Managed Galatasaray 4 times

Fatih Terim with Galatasaray preparing for a match with Lokomotiv by Irina Rybakova –

Terim’s destiny seemed to be wrapped around Galatasaray. After playing for them for 11 years, he came back to coach them not once but for 3 separate terms.

Terim’s first term at Galatasaray began in 1996 after he had taken Turkey to Euro 1996. In this term, Galatasaray won the Turkish league championship four years (seasons) in a row.

He also won the UEFA cup (UEFA Europa League) in 2000. He left the club in 2000 as the club’s most successful manager. Understandable why they wanted more of him.

After a 2-year stint in Italy, Galatasaray came calling once again and Terim was much obliged to accept their call. In 2002, he officially returned to Galatasaray. However, his second term had nothing to brag about.

The club had internal management and financial issues which led to poor performance. In 2004 he resigned but his story with Galatasaray was all but over.

After a horrendous 2010-11 season, new chairman Ãœnal Aysal had only one man in mind for the coaching job. Yes, you guessed right, Fatih Terim. He did not disappoint as Galatasaray won their 18th league title in his 1st season on his 3rd term.

On 24th September 2013 however, his 3rd stint with Galatasaray came to an end abruptly. He was directing a training session when news broke that the board had voted to sack him. Fans protested and called for the board to resign to no avail.

In 2017, Terim returned to Galatasaray. He won the 2017-18 league title as well as 2018-19 one. At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, he signed a new 3-year contract.

However, on 22nd January 2022, his contract was terminated. He mentioned that this was his last signature with Galatasary.

6. Managed Turkey’s National Team 3 Times

Åžener Özbayraklı infront of head coach Fatih Terim by Steindy ( talk ) –

After managing Ankaragücü and Göztepe, Terim was appointed assistant manager to Turkey’s national coach, Sepp Piontek, in 1990. After 3 years, he was appointed head coach.

In 1996, Turkey qualified for the final tournament of the European Football Championship (Euro 96) for the first time. He left the international team in 1996 for Galatasaray marking the end of his 1st term.

In 2005, he was appointed manager of the Turkey national team for the 2nd time. He missed out on World Cup 2006 on the away goal rule to Switzerland. He however had a successful Euro 2008 outing reaching the semi-finals which they lost to Germany.

Terim resigned on 11th October 2009 during the 2010 World Cup UEFA qualifying stage. After seeing that Turkey could not win the group.

He came for a third term on 22nd August 2013 as interim manager. He failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup Finals after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands and finishing 4th in the group.

7. Dropped Out of High School

On September 4, 1953, Fatih Terim was born in Adana. He was raised in poverty as the oldest of three children. That’s because Talat Terim, his father, had physical limitations.

With other kids, he picked up the game of soccer on the streets. Terim’s passion for football stood in stark contrast to his disinterest and academic failure. Terim attended a secondary school for two years before quitting.

8. Coached Both Fiorentina and AC Milan

AC Milan fans choreography by nobbiwan –

After his success with Galatasaray, Terim decided to go to Italy for a new challenge. He landed in Fiorentina and signed a 1-year contract with the club. He connected with the fans immediately and they loved his aggressive style of football.

However, he refused to extend his stay in Florence after owner Cecchi Gori did not intend to invest as requested by Terim. This caused results to become poor and he left for Milan at the end of his contract.

On 18 June 2001, Terim signed a two-year contract with Milan. He transformed Milan’s playing style but his team conceded a lot during his tenure. Following a string of draws and losses, his contract was terminated after 5 months.

9. Terim Has 2 Daughters

Fatih Terim is wed to Fulya Terim and the couple has 2 daughters, Merve and Buse. The two young girls have grown up into stunning women with successful careers.

Yaman Etin is the name of Merve’s son; she is 36 years old, married to Ahmet Baran, and a mother. Buse has two children, Nil and Naz Bahçekapl, and is married to Volkan Bahçekapl.

10. Nicknamed the Emperor

Terim is known as “Imparator” in his own country and “Imperatore” in Italy, which both translate to “The Emperor.” An appropriate moniker for the most well-known football coach in Turkey.

Terim has a physical resemblance to Napoleon Bonaparte, to say nothing of his personality. They both have inflated egos and are almost the same height. Both of them experienced notable successes as well as terrible losses.