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Gündüz Kılıç (1919-1980) was a Turkish football player and coach.
Born in 1919 in Istanbul, Gündüz Kılıç attended Galatasaray Lycee and then started his football career as a center forward with Galatasaray SK. He was strong, big, well-educated, sophisticated, charismatic, charming and hungry for success. He never looked flashy, yet was never boring. Kılıç was the mastermind behind Turkish soccer creating football players that would become respectable managers after their career.
He took a break from his career in 1938, moving to Germany for a university education. When he returned to Turkey, he again wore the Galatasaray shirt and won two league championships with the team. Kılıç, who played 11 matches with the Turkish national team, played for Galatasaray until 1953.
The "Gündüz Kılıç Revolution" started early one morning at Galatasaray in 1952, when he hung his uniform in his locker and put on his coaching suit and whistle without looking back. Once the captain of the Galatasaray team, Gündüz Kılıç coached his former teammates and the bright young talents he added to the squad. He led his team to several championships after eighteen long years of sorrow, without a championship, between 1934 and 1952. He also transfered Turkish superstar Metin Oktay to the team.
Under Kılıç, Galatasaray reached quarter-finals of the European Cup, with only the AC Milan side of Nereo Rocco ending their hopes.
Every Galatasaray player, student or supporter had found an exemplary man in Gündüz Kılıç: a man that performed so well, a man that motivated so well, a man who educates so well, a man who brought out the very best in every single person he ever worked with. A true gentleman both on and off the field, Gündüz Kılıç helped Galatasaray to reach bright new targets. Under his leadership, Galatasaray won numerous championships, Turkish Cup titles and international matches.
His visionary coaching style and strong communication skills were to be the backbone of Turkish coaching for many years to come.
The player, whose nickname was "Father", died in 1980.
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