Özkan Sümer was born in Trabzon on November 20 , 1940. He was one of the names that left their mark on Turkish football with both his football and coaching careers , and was especially known for his relationship with Trabzonspor.

Youth and Education

He started playing football in Trabzon İdmanocağı, a local club in Trabzon. He also played for clubs such as Karabükspor and Sebat Gençlik throughout his football career. He was in the first squad of Trabzonspor, which was founded in 1967 , and played as a defender.

Career and Achievements

After quitting football, he turned to coaching; he was appointed as the technical director of Trabzonspor in 1978. During his career as a technical director, he led Trabzonspor to the Super League championship in the 1978–1979 and 1980–1981 seasons. He made a great impact on the team in a short time and attracted attention especially with his system based on domestic players.

Following his successes at Trabzonspor, he took on the role of technical director of the Turkish National Football Team, and later served as technical director at Galatasaray. However, his most long -term and effective work was again within Trabzonspor. He took on the role of technical director of Trabzonspor again at different times, and played effective roles in both sporting successes and the club's structuring.

Özkan Sümer was elected as the President of Trabzonspor Club in 2000 and continued in this position until 2003. During his presidency, Trabzonspor won the Turkish Cup in the 2002–2003 season.

^{Özkan Sümer (Fotomaç)}

Contributions

Drawing attention with her support for women's football, Sümer pioneered the establishment of the Trabzonspor Women's Football Team, which became the champion of the Turkish Women's Football League in the 2008–2009 season. She also made significant contributions to Turkish football with the importance she gave to infrastructure systems and her vision of training local football players .

Personal Life

Sümer is known not only for his on-field successes, but also for the value he places on education and infrastructure, and has been influential in the development of many football players.

Recent Years and Death

Özkan Sümer passed away in Trabzon , the city where he was born, on December 22, 2020.

Legacy and Influence

He left a respected legacy with the players he brought to Turkish football, the systems he developed and the sports culture he created. He left a permanent mark on Turkish sports history as both a technical director and manager.