ARTS AND CULTURE
Şenes Erzik, the revolutionary and honorary president of the Turkish Football Federation, is one of the most outstanding sportspeople in the world of football. Erzik holds the unconquerable record of serving European football for a total of 33 years in UEFA; 15 years as the first vice-president, and 21 years on the FIFA executive committee, football's world governing body. He was awarded the highest praise for his life-long and outstanding service to the world’s favorite game by joining the distinguished group of honorary members of both institutions. In his book, Olmaz Olmaz Demeyin Olmaz Olmaz (Don’t Say It Can’t Happen, Anything Can, Sia Yayınları) Erzik details the milestones in his life to be an inspiration to youth.
Erzik states his education, his values, and his career were the three pillars of his journey: “I was a full-time high school student at Robert College, then majored in business administration and economics, and completed my master’s degree in marketing at RC Yüksek. My universal education helped me understand and appreciate every word - both in letter and spirit - spent in my business career. A strong and rich past helped shape the moral values that guided my dedication to fight against racism, match-fixing, doping, homophobia, and violence. Integrity in my career has always been a value of utmost importance.”
Erzik views football as a powerful force for integration and tolerance, and he wants to bring the readers along on his journey of improving the modus operandi in fairness. “Today, people are susceptible to disinformation on social media. I wanted my memories on record to preserve my legacy so that future generations can learn from me and build on my achievements. It took some bravery to do things that had never been done before. I would very much like to encourage the rising generation to be resilient.”
Published July 2022
