Alpay Özalan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alpay Özalan MP
Alpay training with 1. FC Köln in 2006
Member of the Grand National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 July 2018
Constituency	İzmir (II) (2018, 2023)
Personal details
Born	Fehmi Alpay Özalan (1973-05-30) 30 May 1973 (age 52) İzmir, Turkey
Political party	Justice and Development Party (2018–present)
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Children	2
Association football career Position(s) Centre back Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1991–1992 Soma Linyitspor 19 (2) 1992–1993 Altay 23 (1) 1993–1999 Beşiktaş 150 (9) 1999–2000 Siirt Jet-Pa Spor 0 (0) 1999–2000 → Fenerbahçe (loan) 29 (3) 2000–2003 Aston Villa 58 (1) 2003–2004 Incheon United 8 (0) 2004–2005 Urawa Red Diamonds 13 (0) 2005–2008 1. FC Köln 48 (1) Total 348 (14) International career 1992–1994 Turkey U21 19 (0) 1993 Turkey Olympic 4 (0) 1995–2005 Turkey 90 (4) Managerial career 2016–2017 Eskişehirspor 2017 Samsunspor Medal record Third FIFA World Cup 2002 *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fehmi Alpay Özalan (born May 29, 1973), often known simply as Alpay, is a famous Turkish person. He used to be a professional footballer (soccer player) and a football manager. Now, he is a politician. He played 90 international games for the Turkish national team between 1995 and 2005. This makes him one of Turkey's most capped players ever. He played in two European Championships and the 2002 World Cup, where he was chosen for the "Team of the Tournament." Since 2018, he has been a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, representing the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Football Career Highlights

Alpay Özalan had a long and successful career playing football. He was known as a strong defender.

Early Club Days

Alpay started his senior football career at Soma Linyitspor. His good playing quickly caught the attention of bigger teams in Turkey. In 1993, he joined Beşiktaş, one of Turkey's major football clubs. He played 148 matches for Beşiktaş and scored nine goals. After six years, he moved to Fenerbahçe for one season.

Playing for Aston Villa

After showing amazing skills at Euro 2000, Alpay signed with the English club Aston Villa. He had a great first season and became popular with the fans. He even caught the eye of other big clubs like Arsenal. However, an ankle injury kept him from playing for a while.

He recovered just in time for the 2002 World Cup. In this tournament, he was a key part of Turkey's strong defense. Turkey finished third, which was a huge achievement, and Alpay was named in the "Team of the Tournament." After the World Cup, some of Europe's biggest clubs were interested in him. However, Aston Villa's manager decided not to sell him. This led to some disagreements, and Alpay played less for the club.

In 2003, during a game against Charlton Athletic, some fans booed him. When he scored a goal, he put his finger to his mouth, which some saw as mocking the fans. Later that year, he had a heated moment with David Beckham during a match between Turkey and England. Because of the strong reactions in England, his contract with Aston Villa ended in October 2003.

Time in Asia and Germany

After leaving Aston Villa, Alpay moved to South Korea to play for Incheon United in 2004. He then moved to Japan to play for Urawa Red Diamonds. In his first season there, he was named the best defender of the year. However, he faced some challenges with red cards in his second season, and his contract was ended.

In 2005, Alpay signed with the German team 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga. This move helped him get back into the Turkish national team. Even when the team was relegated (moved down a league), he chose to stay because his family was happy in Germany.

International Football Career

Alpay Özalan played 90 matches for the Turkish national team and scored four goals. Three of these goals were a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Macedonia during the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

He was one of Turkey's best players in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where the team achieved an amazing third place. Alpay also played for Turkey in the Euro 1996, Euro 2000, and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.

One memorable moment was during Euro 1996. In a game against Croatia, he allowed a Croatian player to dribble the ball without fouling him, which led to a goal. Alpay received a "fair-play" award for this action, showing his sportsmanship. His final international match was in 2005 against Switzerland.

Life as a Politician

After his football career, Alpay Özalan entered politics. In the parliamentary elections held on June 24, 2018, he was elected as a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He represents Izmir for the AKP (Justice and Development Party). He has said that his first day in parliament felt even more exciting than playing football in front of 85,000 people.

In 2021, he was involved in a disagreement in the Turkish parliament with another politician. In August 2024, during a debate in parliament, he was involved in another incident with a member of parliament from the Workers' Party of Turkey.

Alpay Özalan has also spoken out on certain issues. For example, during a military operation, he asked for a concert to be canceled because he believed the singer supported a group called the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Honors and Awards

Alpay Özalan received many awards and honors throughout his career, both with his clubs and the national team.

Club Achievements

• Beşiktaş
  • Süper Lig: 1994–95
  • Turkish Cup: 1994, 1998
  • Turkish Super Cup: 1998
• Aston Villa
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
• Urawa Red Diamonds
  • Emperor's Cup: 2005

National Team Achievements

• Turkey
  • FIFA World Cup third place: 2002
  • FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2003

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Cup All Star Team: 2002
• J1 League Defender of the Year: 2004

Special Recognition

• Turkish State Medal of Distinguished Service

See also

In Spanish: Alpay Özalan para niños