First Manager of the Turkish national Soccer Team

First Manager of the Turkish national Soccer Team was William "Billy" Hunter who took the team to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France ranking 17th at the end of the football games{1]. Four athletes (Mohamed Burhan, Şekip Engineri, Rauf Hasağasi, Ömer Besim Koşalay) and a single male fencer (Fuat Balkan) [2] also represented Turkey in 1924.

Mavi Boncuk |
Scotsman William "Billy" Hunter was a Scottish professional football player (the Bolton and Millwall) and manager. He had a successful managing career in Europe in the 20s, managing amoung others Lausanne, Sport Club Hakoah Wien[3] , Galatasaray and the Turkish and Dutch national teams. He supposedly was 34 years old when coming to Vienna in 1923. [4].

[1] Turkey competed in the Olympic football tournament for the first time in 1924. Round 1 May 25, 1924 Stade Bergeyre Attendance: 5,000 Referee: P. Chr. Andersen (NOR) 15:30

Czechoslovakia 5 (Sloup 21', Sedláček 28' 37', Novák 64', Čapek 74') - Turkey 2 (Refet 63' 82')
[2] Fuat Balkan (1886 – 28 May 1970) was a Turkish Olympic fencer. He competed at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics. Founder, president and number ! member of BJK Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü. (pictured right)
[3] A pair of Austrian Zionists, cabaret librettist (Kabarettist) Fritz "Beda" Löhner and dentist Ignaz Herman Körner, founded the club in 1909. Influenced by Max Nordau's doctrine of "Muscular Judaism" (German: Muskeljudentum), they named the club "Hakoah" (Hebrew: הכח), meaning "the strength" in Hebrew.

[4] 1924–1926 Turkey / 1924–1928 Galatasaray