Altinordu FK
Altinordu is not as well-known as Athletic Bilbao. They are not as successful, nor have they ever been. This club from Izmir is called the future of Turkish football.
Altinordu has been the runner-up in Turkey three times, the last time being in 1935 during the former football system in that country. Since the establishment of the Super League as the strongest competition in the modern football pyramid in Turkey, this club can boast participation in the highest rank in two intervals. The last time was in 1970.
Altinordu FK has not always been faithful to the current transfer policy. Only in 2012, when Seyit Mehmet Özkan came to the head of the club, and when the club was in the fourth league, they decided that only players who had gone through the club academy could play for them.
Özkan immediately invested $10 million in infrastructure and coaching staff development upon arrival at the club. He also committed to investing a minimum of €2m in development each season.
The initial plan was to enter the highest rank of Turkish football by 2020, and to enter European competitions by 2024. They have not achieved this yet. They are currently in the second league, but the ultimate goal remains the same – to be the first club in Turkish football to play in the Süper Lig exclusively with players who took their first football steps in their academy. Although they have not yet achieved the results they planned, the fruits of their work can be seen in the players they have produced. Their most valuable exhibit is the current Atletico Madrid defender Çağlar Söyüncü, and there is also the winger Cengiz Ünder, now a player for Fenerbahce.
