Can Bartu was born on January 31, 1936, in Yenimahalle, Istanbul. His introduction to sports began in 1949 with the Fenerbahçe Young Men's Basketball Team. Bartu quickly stood out with his basketball talent and was part of the Fenerbahçe squad that won the Istanbul and Turkey championships in 1955. During this period, he wore the national basketball team jersey a total of 6 times, 1 as a youth national and 5 as a senior national player.

Transition to Football Career

His transition to football occurred in 1955 due to a player shortage in the Edirnespor-Fenerbahçe match. In this match, Bartu scored four goals, three of which were disallowed, drawing attention with his performance. Upon Fikret Arıcan's suggestion, he turned to football and signed a professional football contract with Fenerbahçe. Following this step, he ended his basketball career.

Fenerbahçe Career

Can Bartu played for the Fenerbahçe football team between 1955-1961 and 1967-1970. During this period, he played a total of 326 matches in the yellow-navy blue jersey and scored 162 goals. He won the league championship 4 times with Fenerbahçe. Bartu, who also captained the team, stood out with his technical playing style that directed the game.

National Team Career

Can Bartu played a total of 28 times for the Turkish national football team, 26 of which were as a senior national player, and scored 6 goals. He is also the first and only athlete in Turkey to be a national player in both football and basketball. After scoring 2 goals in a football match against Beşiktaş, he scored 32 points in a basketball match against Galatasaray on the same day.

Goalkeeper Experience and Records

On November 2, 1958, in the European Championship Qualifier match against Romania, he went into goal for the last 7 minutes after goalkeeper Turgay Şeren was injured. In this match, Bartu conceded a goal from a back-pass by a teammate, becoming the only football player in national team history to both score and concede a goal.

Italy Career

In 1961, Bartu transferred to Italy's Fiorentina club and played football in Italy for 6 years. In his first season at Fiorentina, he scored 2 goals in 14 matches. The following season, he transferred to Venezia and scored 8 goals in 30 matches. In the 1963-1964 season, Bartu returned to Fiorentina and played in 10 matches. Between 1964-1967, he wore the Lazio jersey, scoring 4 goals in 46 matches. Due to his successful performance in Italy, he earned the nickname "Sinyor".

European Cups and Firsts

In 1962, Can Bartu played in the European Cup Winners' Cup final between Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid, earning the title of the first Turkish football player to play in a cup final organized by UEFA. He was in the starting eleven for this match.

Return and Farewell Match

Can Bartu returned to Fenerbahçe in 1967 and ended his active football career in 1970. In 1969, during Metin Oktay's farewell match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, he briefly wore the Galatasaray jersey and exchanged jerseys with Oktay.

After retiring from football, he worked as a sports writer and commentator. He wrote articles for various newspapers and commented on television programs for a long time. Finally, he met viewers on Fenerbahçe Television with the program "Can Bartu ile Futbol Gündemi" (Football Agenda with Can Bartu).

For the 2008-2009 UEFA Cup final held in Turkey, he was chosen as the Turkish ambassador by UEFA. On July 25, 2009, during the High Council meeting, the Samandıra Facilities were named "Fenerbahçe Can Bartu Facilities". Can Bartu was also a member of the Fenerbahçe Sports Club High Council.

Demise

Can Bartu passed away on April 11, 2019, at the age of 83. Bartu, whose name is etched in Turkish sports history in both basketball and football, is remembered by Fenerbahçe and Turkish sports fans.