The Ambassador: Can Bartu

Date of birth: 30 January 1936
Nationality: Turkish
Playing career: Fenerbahçe SK (twice), ACF Fiorentina (twice), AC Venezia, S.S. Lazio

Now one of Turkey's most popular sports journalists and television commentators, 2008/09 UEFA Cup final ambassador Can Bartu was a tremendous sportsman in his day, playing in the 1961/62 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final with Fiorentina and representing Turkey at international level at both basketball and football.

Born in Istanbul, he started his sporting career as a basketball player at Fenerbahçe, winning six caps for the national team in that sport before coach and club president Fikret Arıcan invited him to play football as well. Between 1955 and 1961 he represented the club as an attacking midfielder or left-sided winger until he was lured to Florence in 1961.

He played for the Viola in the 1962 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final as the Italian team drew 1-1 against Club Atlético de Madrid in Glasgow, becoming the first Turkish player to compete in a major European final. However, he had been loaned out to AC Venezia by the time of the replay in Stuttgart nearly four months later, which Fiorentina lost 3-0.

Having scored eight goals in 30 Serie A games in his only season at Venezia, Bartu returned to Fiorentina in the summer of 1963, making the last of his 24 league appearances for the club in the following campaign before moving on to S.S. Lazio. He was to score four goals in 49 Serie A games for the Rome side, cementing his reputation as both a stylish player and a snappy dresser.

'Signor Bartu' returned to Turkey for a second spell at Fenerbahçe in 1967. He finally hung up his boots in 1970 having scored six goals in 26 games for Turkey and 162 in 326 appearances in all competitions for the Istanbul side. In his testimonial game in 1969, Fenerbahçe took on Galatasaray SK, with Bartu wearing both clubs' shirts during the match. He became a columnist and pundit after retirement.