Bülent Giz

Bülent Giz — Biography

Bülent Giz, born in 1925, was a Turkish footballer and manager and the brother of the noted photographer Selahattin Giz. Throughout his playing career he wore only the Galatasaray shirt. After retiring as a player he trained as a coach and spent some time as a sports journalist. He watched the 1958 World Cup in person and saw the Brazilian national team at close quarters; back in Turkey he became the first Turkish manager to apply the Brazilian style of play.

He began coaching as an assistant at Yeşildirek, an amateur Istanbul side, which rose from the fourth tier to the First League in 1961-62. He went on to manage Beykoz, PTT Gençlik, Mersin İdmanyurdu, Sakaryaspor, Karagümrük, Austria's Neusiedl See and Alibeyköyspor. With PTT Gençlik he finished seventh in the First League in 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69. At Mersin İdmanyurdu in 1969-70 he fought for the title and ended fourth on goal average; the club was eleventh the next season, when he left. In 1971-72 he took PTT to the Second League title and promotion, and in 1973-74 he finished second in that division with Sakaryaspor.