Manchester United’s Turkish international goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, is poised to make history if the “Red Devils” reach the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham, declaring that “it will be Turkish.”
The highly anticipated match, set for Wednesday, May 21st, in Bilbao, Spain, could see Bayindir become the 11th Turkish football player to compete for a major UEFA club trophy.
Bayindir is expected to be included in the matchday squad, continuing a rich legacy of Turkish talent gracing the grandest stages of European club football.
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Prior to Bayindir, ten Turkish players have vied for UEFA silverware in various finals, encompassing the UEFA Champions League, the former Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Cup (now Europa League), and the UEFA Super Cup.
These esteemed names include Can Bartu, Özcan Arkoç, Yildiray Baştürk, Hamit Altıntop, Nuri Şahin, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Arda Turan, Emre Belözoğlu, Fatih Tekke, and Arda Güler.
The pioneering Turkish footballer to feature in a European final with a foreign club was Can Bartu in 1962. Nicknamed ‘Sinyor’, Bartu represented Italian side Fiorentina in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final against Atletico Madrid.
Bartu’s historic appearance saw him become the first Turkish player to contest a European club final, ultimately lifting the trophy after a 1-1 draw and a 3-0 replay victory.
Özcan Arkoç, who played for Vefa, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş in Turkey before moving abroad, became the first Turkish goalkeeper to play in a UEFA club final.
He featured in the 1968 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final for German side Hamburg against AC Milan. Despite Arkoç’s efforts, Milan secured the cup with a 2-0 victory.
A significant number of Turkish players have graced the UEFA Champions League final. Yildiray Baştürk represented Bayer Leverkusen against Real Madrid in the 2002 final, which Real Madrid won 2-1.
Hamit Altıntop played for Bayern Munich in the 2010 final, where Inter Milan emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline. In 2013, Nuri Şahin made a late appearance for Borussia Dortmund as they fell 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the final.
The 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul saw two Turkish footballing figures on opposing sides.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu, representing Inter Milan, played the full 90 minutes against the Turkish-origin Ilkay Gündoğan and his Manchester City team. Manchester City ultimately triumphed 1-0 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, taking the trophy to England.
Fatih Tekke, following his career at Trabzonspor, became the first Turkish footballer to win a European trophy with a foreign club.
Playing for Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg, Tekke was part of the team that defeated Scottish club Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup final in Manchester.
Arda Turan, during his time at Atletico Madrid, enjoyed success in UEFA finals. In 2012, he played the full 90 minutes as Atletico Madrid defeated fellow Spanish side Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the UEFA Cup final.
Just months later, in August 2012, Turan again tasted trophy success in the UEFA Super Cup alongside another Turkish international, Emre Belözoğlu.
Starting for Atletico Madrid against Champions League winners Chelsea, Turan witnessed a dominant 4-1 victory, with Belözoğlu entering the fray in the 87th minute to share in the celebrations.
Turan, however, missed the 2014 Champions League final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid due to injury.
Arda Güler, one of Turkish football’s brightest young talents, holds the distinction of being the youngest Turkish player to win a major European trophy with a foreign club.
While he did not feature in Real Madrid’s 2-0 UEFA Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund last season, he made a brief appearance in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta earlier this season.
Coming on in the 88th minute for Vinicius Junior, Güler experienced the joy of lifting the trophy with his teammates after Real Madrid’s 2-0 win.
Altay Bayindir is anticipated to start on the bench for Manchester United in the upcoming Europa League final at San Mames.
This season, Bayindir has made nine appearances for Manchester United, including three in the Premier League, three in the Carabao Cup, two in the UEFA Europa League, and one in the FA Cup.
In his 840 minutes on the field, the Turkish goalkeeper has conceded 18 goals. Should he make an appearance against Tottenham, Bayindir would become only the second Turkish goalkeeper to feature in a UEFA club final, following in the footsteps of Özcan Arkoç.
