27.11.2025 18:30
Five siblings who started their careers in equipment management at Manisa Turgutluspor are now working at Beşiktaş, Antalyaspor, Altınordu, Aliağa, and Turgutluspor. İzzet Özdemir (47), who introduced the family to this profession, said, "I raised them all; sometimes I feel sad because we are far apart, but it is a source of pride to see them holding on."
Five siblings born in the Turgutlu district of Manisa are working as equipment managers for five professional football teams in different cities and leagues across Turkey. The person who led the Özdemir siblings to pursue this profession is İzzet Özdemir. Özdemir started working as the equipment manager for Turgutluspor in 1990. He later taught the profession to his brothers Orhan (42), Fatih (43), Metin (36), and Akif (50), helping them work in various clubs.
FIRST EXPERIENCES AT TURGUTLUSPOR
The common point in the profession of the Özdemir siblings is the club currently known as '7 Eylül Turgutlu 1984 Sportif Yatırımlar A.Ş.', which was formerly called Turgutluspor and now competes in the regional amateur league after a name change. All five siblings started their careers at this club. İzzet Özdemir, who took his first step into the profession here, has been working as an equipment manager for the Super League team Beşiktaş for the last four years. Özdemir also taught the profession to his three brothers and his elder brother.
FLAGS WERE PASSED
After İzzet Özdemir moved to another team in 1997, the flag at Turgutluspor was passed on to another brother each time. Following Özdemir, Orhan, Fatih, Metin, and Akif Özdemir took over the role in succession. Fatih Özdemir spent the last 14 years of his 2002-started career in Turgutlu at Altınordu. Metin Özdemir, who started his profession at Turgutluspor in 2005, worked alongside his brother Fatih at Altınordu for 10 years and is now continuing at the İzmir team Aliağa FK. The eldest of the Özdemir siblings, Akif Özdemir, continues his equipment management role at Turgutluspor, where he started in 2006. İzzet, who works as an equipment manager at Beşiktaş, and Orhan, who works at Antalyaspor, recently experienced the joy of seeing each other when their teams faced off in a match in Antalya.
İZZET ÖZDEMİR: MY BROTHERS STARTED WITH ME
İzzet Özdemir, who serves as the equipment manager at Beşiktaş, said, "I started this job in the Turgutlu district of Manisa. I worked there for about 27-28 years, and I have been at Beşiktaş for 4 years. My brothers also started with me. Then, Orhan went to Antalyaspor, Fatih went to Altınordu, Metin went to Karagümrük, and now he has moved to Aliağa. Akif is still working in Turgutlu," he stated.
'MY MOTHER SOMETIMES GETS ANGRY'
Özdemir mentioned the challenges of being in different cities despite doing the same job, saying, "The downside is that we have drifted apart. We can't get together often, and that's the bad part of it. But the good part is doing the same job. I trained all of them. Sometimes I ask myself; did I make a mistake or did I do the right thing? But their success in the places they work and the good references I receive make me happy. My mother sometimes gets angry; 'You all had such good jobs, and now you are all in different places,' she says," he added.
ORHAN ÖZDEMİR: WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS, NOW WE ARE RIVALS
Orhan Özdemir, who works at Antalyaspor, stated that he started his profession at a young age, saying, "I was around 15-16 years old when I started this job, going back and forth to my brother İzzet. We worked together for years, and now we are rivals. There are both good and bad sides. The good side is that we meet twice a year during camps. The bad side is one of us wins, and the other loses. We don't get to see each other much after matches; we mostly have the chance to chat before the game," he explained. Özdemir added, "We have always thanked our brother. If we didn't love our profession, no one could endure it for years. It's a tough job, but we love it. İzzet's working as an equipment manager at his beloved team Beşiktaş is a great pride for him."
'WE CONTINUE OUR BROTHER'S DISCIPLINE'
Fatih Özdemir, the equipment manager at Altınordu, said, "I started this profession at the age of 17-18. We got into this job thanks to our brother who works at Beşiktaş. This is my 16th year at Altınordu; I started in 2010. We continue the discipline, cleanliness, and work ethic of our brother İzzet Özdemir in the teams we are in," he stated.
METİN ÖZDEMİR: WE SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH EACH OTHER
Metin Özdemir, who works as an equipment manager at Aliağa FK, said: "I have been in the football community since I was 10 years old. I got into this job thanks to my brother who works at Beşiktaş. Out of 8 siblings, 5 of us work at different clubs. I am the youngest in the family and the last to join this profession. I gained experience working alongside İzzet during his time at Turgutluspor. I continued this profession with my other brother at Altınordu FK. I also worked for a season at Fatih Karagümrük. I have been working at Aliağa FK for 2 seasons now. I love my profession very much. I am in constant communication with all my brothers. We share our experiences with each other before and after matches. It is a very challenging job that requires patience. We do our best to fulfill this."