Bursaspor boss Yazıcı dies aged 65 from heart failure

BURSA - Hürriyet Daily News

Yazıcı was the chairman during Bursaspor’s historic league title in 2010. AA photo

Spor Toto Super League club Bursaspor’s chairman İbrahim Yazıcı died yesterday at hospital, where he was receiving treatment after suffering a heart attack on May 4. He was 65 and married with two children.

Yazıcı was the owner of a hotel chain and was also a lawmaker in the Turkish Parliament for two terms from 1996 to 2002, as a deputy for the center-right Motherland Party (ANAP) and the True Path Party (DYP).

As the club’s chairman since 2007, Yazıcı led the northwestern city club to its first-ever Turkish League title in the 2009-2010 season, which made Bursaspor only the fifth club to win the league in its 56-year history.

Halil Ünal, the chairman of Super League Clubs Association, said: “I have lost a very dear family friend and an important sports figure. Yazıcı led his club to the league title, opening the way for all Anatolian clubs. My condolences go to his family and to the Turkish football community.”