Hayrettin Demirbaş

Hayrettin Demirbaş — Biography

Hayrettin Demirbaş, born in Istanbul on June 26, 1963, is a former Turkey international goalkeeper turned coach. He began at Küçükköyspor in Ayvalık and moved to the Altay academy at 14, earning pocket money in the summer holidays by keeping goal at the İzmir Fair. He stepped up to Altay's first team in 1981, started wearing the Turkey under-21 shirt in the same year and spent 1985-86 on loan at Yeni Afyonspor.

At the end of 1986-87 he joined Galatasaray. After four seasons waiting behind Zoran Simović he won his first league title in 1987, and became the regular first-choice goalkeeper at the start of 1990-91. A superb display against Baník Ostrava in the Cup Winners' Cup earned him the nickname "Ostrava Panteri" (the Panther of Ostrava). He became the senior national team's first-choice keeper, was named goalkeeper of the year in 1993, and contributed to two consecutive league titles. In 1994-95 he was loaned to Vanspor, then returned as understudy to Brad Friedel. Later he played for Zeytinburnuspor and Ağrıspor.

After hanging up his gloves he worked as goalkeeper coach and then manager at Bucaspor, and later coached Erzurumspor, Nazilli Belediyespor, Bingölspor and Yeni Bornovaspor, with a spell as goalkeeper coach at Manisaspor. In 2010 he made a brief comeback in goal for 51 Niğdespor. His last goalkeeper-coach post was at Bandırmaspor in 2016-17.