Sedat Balkanlı

Sedat Balkanlı — Biography

Sedat Balkanlı was born on 15 January 1965 in Istanbul to a family of Albanian immigrant descent. Over the course of his career he played for Gaziosmanpaşa, Konyaspor, Bursaspor, Galatasaray, Eskişehirspor and Fenerbahçe; although he was primarily a defender, the headed goals he scored in crucial matches earned him the nickname "altın kafa" ("golden head") among fans, a reputation cemented when all 9 of the goals he scored for Galatasaray in the 1994-95 season came from headers. His only appearance for the senior Turkish national team came on 28 April 1993, away to Norway in a 1994 World Cup qualifying match that Turkey lost 3-1.

In 1997, at just 32 years old, Balkanlı was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a one-in-a-million disease. Although doctors gave him only about two years to live, he fought the illness on a ventilator for 12 years. He died on 29 April 2009 at the Amerikan Hastanesi in Istanbul and was buried at Karlıtepe Cemetery.

His memory has endured well beyond his death: memorial tournaments held in his name and his wife's involvement in ALS awareness campaigns have made him one of the figures most closely associated with the fight against the disease in Turkey.