İlhan Mansız

He is also a competing figure skater. He is of Crimean Tatar descent.

İlhan Mansız

Mansız in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth	(1975-08-10) 10 August 1975 (age 48)
Place of birth	Kempten, West Germany
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
0000–1989	SV Lenzfried
1989–1992	FC Kempten
1992–1994	FC Augsburg
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1995	1. FC Köln II	1	(0)
1995–1996	Gençlerbirliği	2	(0)
1996–1997	SV Türk Gücü München	24	(11)
1997–1998	Kuşadasıspor	37	(19)
1998–2001	Samsunspor	89	(26)
2001–2004	Beşiktaş	66	(36)
2004	Vissel Kobe	3	(0)
2005	Hertha BSC	1	(0)
2005–2007	MKE Ankaragücü	9	(4)
Total		198	(78)
International career
2001–2003	Turkey	21	(7)
Managerial career
2018–2019	Beşiktaş (assistant)
Medal record Representing  Turkey Men's football FIFA World Cup 2002 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Mansız gained international recognition at Istanbul's Beşiktaş J.K., and was later acquired by the Vissel Kobe football club in Japan.

After his Japan journey, he signed a contract with Hertha BSC, but, because of his injury, he never had a chance to play for the first team. His contract was cancelled due to a clause in the contract saying that if his knee was injured again, they would release him. After his short stint with Hertha BSC, İlhan signed a one-year contract with Turkish club Ankaragücü. He was slowly but surely coming back from his plague of injuries and helping Ankaragücü in the Turkcell Super League.

Before the 2006–07 season, he declared his decision to retire from football. As of 2007 there were rumors that he was getting training in Los Angeles, US, to make a comeback to football. These rumors are revealed by İlhan Mansız and he declared to sign contract with Ankaragücü again. However, this final comeback attempt was abandoned before the 2007–08 season, as he announced his retirement.

After a car accident in 2007, it seemed the career of İlhan Mansız had ended. In July 2009, after seven knee operations, he tried to make a comeback by training with German second-division side TSV 1860 Munich.

International career

İlhan made his debut for Turkey as a substitute during their final group-stage qualifier against Moldova in October 2001. The speedy striker earned his way onto coach Şenol Güneş' squad on the strength of an outstanding 2001–02 season for Beşiktaş, when he led the Süper Lig in scoring and helped the squad to a third-place finish.

The best goal of his career came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter final against Senegal. He came on as a substitute for Hakan Şükür in the 67th minute, and netted a golden goal in the 94th minute to send Turkey through to the last four of the competition, in which they ended up taking third place. This was the last time where the golden goal was used in World Cup for extra-time matches. In the third place game İlhan Mansız assisted Hakan Şükür to score the fastest goal ever in a World Cup finals match, and went on to score his team's two other goals in the match.

He is also remembered by his rainbow flick against Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos in 2002 World Cup semifinal clash, which was one of the best skill displays of the cup.

Mansız was a relative unknown in international circles prior to the 2002 World Cup. Despite his display of prodigious talent on the world stage, his health concerns and advanced age precluded serious consideration on the part of European clubs. Mansız declared "It is too late for me, I wish I had been discovered sooner in my career."

On 11 July 2018, Beşiktaş J.K. announced via their social media accounts that Mansız was appointed as assistant coach to the club, along with Guti, another former player of club. Mansız quit his job at Beşiktaş on 6 February 2019 due to health concerns.

Mansız learned to skate at the relatively late age of 33 when he competed on the Turkish show Buzda Dans, as a pair skater with partner Oľga Beständigová, who is also his girlfriend.

After winning the show, Mansız announced his goal was to represent Turkey at the 2014 Winter Olympics, hoping to become the first athlete to compete in both the football World Cup and the Winter Olympics since Aleksandar Shalamanov of Bulgaria.

Mansız and Beständigová made their competitive debut at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy, which was also the final qualifying opportunity for the 2014 Olympics. They finished 19th and last in the pairs event, ending their hope of skating at the Olympic Games. Nonetheless, they continued to compete.

Club

International

Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mansız goal.

List of international goals scored by İlhan Mansız

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	17 April 2002	Kerkrade, Netherlands	Chile	2–0	2–0	Friendly
2	22 June 2002	Osaka, Japan	Senegal	1–0	1–0	2002 FIFA World Cup
3	29 June 2002	Daegu, South Korea	South Korea	2–1	3–2	2002 FIFA World Cup
4	29 June 2002	Daegu, South Korea	South Korea	3–1	3–2	2002 FIFA World Cup
5	16 October 2002	Istanbul, Turkey	Liechtenstein	3–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying

Beşiktaş

• Süper Lig: 2002–03

Turkey

• FIFA World Cup: third place 2002

Individual

• Süper Lig top goalscorer: 2001–02