Osman Özdemir

Osman Özdemir — Biography

Osman Özdemir was born on 1 September 1961 in Adapazarı and is a former Turkish footballer and manager who played as a forward. Through the 1980s and 1990s he played for Süper Lig and 1. Lig clubs including Gençlerbirliği, Adanaspor, Konyaspor, Yozgatspor and Sakaryaspor. He is best remembered for his years at Gençlerbirliği, where he was part of the squad that won the club's first-ever Turkish Cup in the 1986-87 season, contributing with goals of his own.

After retiring as a player, Özdemir moved into coaching, starting out in 1996 with the youth team of his hometown club Sakaryaspor, then working as a coach at Gençlerbirliği and Çaykur Rizespor. He took his first head-coaching job at MKE Kırıkkalespor in 2002, followed by spells at Diyarbakırspor and Çankırıspor. Taking over at Gençlerbirliği Oftaş after Metin Diyadin's resignation, he led the club to the 1. Lig title and promotion to the Süper Lig, staying on for two seasons there. In later years he managed Orduspor, Adanaspor, Konyaspor, Adana Demirspor, Kartalspor and, once again, Sakaryaspor; most of these spells ended mid-season when results fell short of expectations.