Hakan Sukur is a name that is certainly etched in the memory of soccer lovers. With spells at clubs such as Galatasary, Inter, Parma and Blackburn Rovers, the 51-year-old former Turkish striker's name is still etched in the history of the sport's king. After all, he is the scorer of the fastest ever goal in a World Cup. In 2002, the former striker only needed 11 seconds to score against South Korea. He also has 51 goals for the national team, making him one of the country's top scorers. But the glory gave way to exile and the fear of being arrested or sentenced to death.
The former footballer cannot set foot in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey. Hakan Sukur is being persecuted for alleged political links to Fethullah Gulen, who tried to overthrow the Turkish president through a coup d'état. He is also seen as a terrorist for saying “I'm Albanian, so I'm not Turkish” at a press conference, and is accused of insulting Erdogan. There is an arrest warrant out for Hakan Sukur, who could be imprisoned or sentenced to death. Sukur was forced to flee Turkey, lost his nationality and all his business and bank accounts were seized. This led him to seek refuge in the United States, where he currently lives in California. “It's my country. I love my people, even though ideas about me are distorted by the controlled media,” he told the New York Times in 2018.
Hakan Sukur drives Uber, sells books and coaches young players
He now makes a living as an Uber driver, sells books and even coaches youth soccer teams. The former player shared his new lifestyle with Welt am Sonntag in 2020. Sukur also reveals that he started out living in Washington and even opened a café and a bakery. Businesses that were eventually closed down because of his identity. “I've never done anything illegal, I'm not a traitor or a terrorist,” says the goalscorer who left the pitch in 2008 with Galatasaray
Photos: Reuters
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