Fatih Terim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fatih Terim

Terim with Galatasaray in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Fatih Terim
Date of birth	(1953-09-04) 4 September 1953 (age 71)
Place of birth	Adana, Turkey
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1963–1969	Adana Demirspor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1969–1974	Adana Demirspor	125	(25)
1974–1985	Galatasaray	327	(16)
Total		452	(41)
International career
1971	Turkey U19	7	(0)
1973–1975	Turkey U21	10	(0)
1975–1984	Turkey	51	(2)
Managerial career
1987–1989	Ankaragücü
1989–1990	Göztepe
1990–1993	Turkey U21
1993–1996	Turkey
1996–2000	Galatasaray
2000–2001	Fiorentina
2001	Milan
2002–2004	Galatasaray
2011–2013	Galatasaray
2013–2017	Turkey
2017–2022	Galatasaray
2023–2024	Panathinaikos
2024–2025	Al-Shabab
Medal record Representing  Turkey (as manager) Men's football UEFA European Championship Bronze 2008 Austria & Switzerland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fatih Terim (born 4 September 1953) is a famous Turkish football manager and former player. He is known for his strong leadership and successful career.

As a player, he played for Ceyhanspor, Adana Demirspor, and Galatasaray. He spent eleven years playing for Galatasaray. During this time, he helped them win several cups. These included the Prime Minister's Cup in 1975 and 1979, and the Turkish Cup three times. He also won the Turkish Super Cup in 1982.

Terim has managed many top clubs in Italy, like Milan and Fiorentina. He also managed several teams in Turkey. He led the Turkish national team multiple times. His most recent time as national team manager was from 2013 to 2017.

In 2001, a survey by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) named him one of the top eight managers in the world. He received an award in Germany for this achievement. In 2007, Italy gave him a special award called "Commendatore." Eurosport also named him the best coach at UEFA Euro 2008. His nickname in Turkey and Italy is "İmparator" or "Imperatore," which means "emperor."

Playing Career

Terim with Adana Demirspor in 1973

Fatih Terim started his professional football journey in 1969 with Adana Demirspor. He quickly became the team captain just three years later. He played very well, helping Adana Demirspor win the 2nd League championship in the 1972–73 season.

In 1974, Terim joined Galatasaray as a sweeper. A sweeper is a defender who plays behind the main defensive line. He played for Galatasaray for eleven years. Even though he was a great player, the club did not win the Turkish league championship during his time there.

Terim also played for the Turkish national team 51 times between 1974 and 1985. He was the national team captain for 35 international matches. This was a record at the time. In 1985, he had a disagreement with a referee and received a red card. After this, he decided to stop playing football.

His farewell match was held at Ali Sami Yen Stadium. He made a memorable entrance by landing on the field in a helicopter while the game was happening. People who watched him play said he was a very smart defender.

Managerial Career

Early Coaching Days

After he stopped playing, Fatih Terim started his coaching career. His first job was with Ankaragücü. He coached them for 18 months. Then, he moved to coach Göztepe for one year. He did not have major successes with these teams.

In 1990, he became an assistant coach for the Turkish national team. He also coached the Turkey under-21 team. In 1993, he became the main coach for the national team. Under his leadership, Turkey qualified for the European Football Championship in 1996. This was the first time in Turkey's history. Even though they lost all their matches in the tournament, qualifying was a big achievement for Turkish football.

Galatasaray: First Time

After Euro 1996, Terim became the manager of Galatasaray. The club had many talented players like Gica Hagi and Taffarel. Under Terim's guidance, Galatasaray won the Turkish league championship four years in a row. They also won the UEFA Cup in 2000. This made Terim the most successful Galatasaray manager ever.

Coaching in Italy

After his success with Galatasaray, Terim moved to Italy. He signed a contract with Fiorentina in 2000. Fans loved his attacking style of football. Fiorentina became a strong team, beating clubs like Milan and Internazionale. They also reached the final of the Coppa Italia.

However, Terim had disagreements with the club president. He decided not to renew his contract and resigned in February 2001. Many fans supported Terim. The famous Romanian player Gheorghe Hagi said Terim built a "phenomenal side" at Fiorentina in just five months.

In June 2001, Terim became the manager of Milan. He tried to make Milan play a very attacking style of football. He brought Rui Costa from Fiorentina to Milan. However, Milan also let in many goals. After only five months, his contract was ended in November 2001.

Galatasaray: Second Time

In 2002, Terim returned to Galatasaray. He brought back some key players from his previous successful team. His second time at Galatasaray started well with a big win. However, the team later lost a historic match to their rivals Fenerbahçe.

Galatasaray also struggled in the UEFA Champions League. They were eliminated early. In the league, they lost the championship to Beşiktaş in 2003. In the 2003-04 season, the team's performance got worse. They were eliminated from the Turkish Cup and UEFA Cup. Terim resigned in March 2004.

Turkey National Team: Second Time

In 2005, Fatih Terim became the manager of the Turkish national team for the second time. He led them in the final matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Turkey finished second in their group. They then played against Switzerland in a play-off. Turkey won the second leg, but Switzerland advanced on the away goals rule.

Terim led Turkey to a great performance at UEFA Euro 2008. They lost their first match but then won against Switzerland and the Czech Republic in exciting games. They beat Croatia in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. Turkey lost to Germany in the semi-finals. This was a very successful tournament for Turkey.

After Euro 2008, Terim's contract was extended until 2012. However, Turkey did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Terim announced his resignation in October 2009.

Galatasaray: Third Time

In 2011, Fatih Terim returned to Galatasaray for his third time as manager. The team had not done well the previous season. Under Terim, Galatasaray had a fantastic season in 2011–12. They finished first in the league and won their 18th title.

In the 2012–13 season, Terim achieved his 200th win as a Galatasaray coach. Galatasaray also did well in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. They reached the Round of 16 and then the quarter-finals. They signed famous players like Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba. They were eliminated by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. On 5 May 2013, Galatasaray won its 19th Süper Lig title.

In September 2013, Terim was removed from his club duties. This happened after a meeting with the club's board. The club said he rejected a contract extension. Many fans protested this decision.

Turkey National Team: Third Time

In August 2013, Terim was appointed interim manager of the Turkish national team again. He led them in four important World Cup qualifying matches. Turkey won three of these matches but did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals.

Terim continued to manage Turkey for the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Turkey started badly but improved a lot. They beat the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. They also won against Iceland with a late goal. This helped them finish third in their group and qualify for Euro 2016.

Galatasaray: Fourth Time

On 22 December 2017, Terim was announced as manager of Galatasaray for the fourth time. In the 2017–18 season, he led Galatasaray to win the Turkish Süper Lig for the seventh time in his career.

On 19 May 2019, Galatasaray won the 2018–19 Süper Lig season. This was Terim's eighth league title and his second in a row with Galatasaray. The club president announced a new contract for Terim in front of 52,500 fans. Galatasaray finished second in the 2020-21 season.

In July 2021, Terim signed a new 3-year contract extension. This season was challenging for him. The team was eliminated early from the Champions League. They also had many losses in the Süper Lig. Despite this, Galatasaray finished first in their Europa League group. However, after more poor results, he was relieved from his contract on 10 January 2022. He shared a photo of his contract termination, saying it was his last signature at Galatasaray.

Recent Coaching Roles

On 26 December 2023, Terim signed a contract with the Greek club Panathinaikos. He coached them for a few months before leaving on 17 May 2024.

On 27 December 2024, the Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab appointed Terim as their head coach. He signed a six-month contract. However, Al Shabab parted ways with him on 7 July 2025, after appointing a new coach.

Personal Life

Fatih Terim was born in Adana, Turkey. His parents are Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who moved to Turkey. Fatih Terim is married to Fulya Terim. They have two daughters named Merve and Buse.

Career Statistics

Player

International Player Statistics

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	18 March 1979	İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir, Turkey	Malta	2–1	Win	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
2	24 September 1980	İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir, Turkey	Iceland	1–3	Lost	1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying
3	12 October 1983	19 Mayıs Stadium, Ankara, Turkey	Northern Ireland	1–0	Win	UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying

Managerial Statistics

Turkish Super Lig Statistics with Galatasaray

Honours and Awards

Player Achievements

Galatasaray

• Turkish Cup: 1975–76, 1981–82, 1984–85
• Turkish Super Cup: 1982

Manager Achievements

Turkey National Team

• UEFA European Championship semi-finals: 2008

Galatasaray

• UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
• Süper Lig: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2018–19
• Turkish Super Cup: 1996, 1997, 2012, 2013, 2019
• TSYD Cup: 1997, 1998, 1999

Special Awards

• Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity: 2007 (Awarded by the Italian state)

See also

In Spanish: Fatih Terim para niños

• List of UEFA Cup winning managers
• List of Turkey national football team managers