Besiktas wing it with Okan
Monday, June 9, 2003
Article summary
Gençlerbirligi SK have received €1.4m and three Besiktas JK players in return for winger Okan Koç.
Article body
'Secret fan'
Capped 12 times by the Turkish Under-21 side, Okan resisted overtures from Galatasaray SK to sign for a club of which he has "always been a secret fan". Okan, rated as one of Turkey's best young talents, has signed a three-year contract with the club, saying: "Besiktas made a lot of effort to sign me, especially financially. Now I feel obliged to play with all my potential and produce some top performances in the [UEFA] Champions League."
Manager confident
Besiktas general manager Sinan Engin confirmed the switch. "We have now signed him officially," he said. "I think he will be a success at Besiktas." The three players who will be leaving the Inönü stadium for Gençlerbirligi are striker Ali Cansun Begeçarslan and reserve duo Ali Öztürk and Bülent Kocabey.
Technical skills
Okan, 21, is blessed with excellent technical ability and pace. He first caught the eye with Dardanelspor, prompting an attempt by AFC Ajax to sign him, but opted to stay prior to joining Gençlerbirligi during the winter break in 2001/02. Besiktas will compete in the Champions League group stage next season.
