Arif Erdem

Arif Erdem — Biography

Arif Erdem became one of the symbols of Galatasaray's attack in the 1990s and early 2000s. He played in the side that won the 2000 UEFA Cup, shared the Süper Lig top-scorer award with İlhan Mansız in 2001-02 and was part of Turkey's third-place team at the 2002 World Cup. He ended his career at Galatasaray in 2005 and then worked at İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor.

He started as an amateur at Zeytinburnuspor and signed professional terms with Galatasaray in June 1991 at 19, scoring four goals in 29 games in his first season. In the 1993-94 Champions League qualifier his goal against Manchester United in England helped Galatasaray become the first Turkish club to enter the competition. He was a key player in the side built after Fatih Terim arrived in 1996, and at Galatasaray he won seven league titles and five Turkish Cups. In 2000 he left with Tayfun Korkut for Real Sociedad, but language and lifestyle problems brought him back after half a season, and he returned to Galatasaray in November 2000; in 2001-02 he scored 21 goals to win the top-scorer award.

For the national team he won 60 caps and scored 11 goals between 1994 and 2003. He was in the squads for Euro 1996 and Euro 2000 (quarter-final), and in Euro 2000 qualifying he scored three goals in three minutes against Northern Ireland. He began coaching in August 2006 as Abdullah Avcı's assistant, became head coach in November 2011 and left by mutual agreement in May 2012.