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Emre Belozoglu Profile |
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Birth Date: September 7, 1980
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Birth Place: Istanbul, Turkey
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Birth Name: Emre Belözoğlu
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Height: 5'8"
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Biography |
Emre Belözoğlu, also known as Emre (born September 7, 1980
in Istanbul) is a Turkish footballer. He is a midfielder for
FA Premier League club Newcastle United and Turkey. In 2004,
he was selected to FIFA 100 by Pelé as one of the 125 best
living footballers.
Belözoğlu was born in Istanbul. He is good friends with Okan
Buruk, Obafemi Martins, Hakan Şükür, and mentor Fatih Terim.
Belözoğlu was developed by Turkish club Galatasaray, and
made his first appearance for the club's senior squad as a
sixteen-year-old in the 1996-97 season. The following year,
he became a regular, and continued with the club through the
2000-01 season, picking up a UEFA Cup winners' medal in
2000. At the beginning of a 2000-2001 season, he also picked
up a UEFA Super Cup winners' medal after Galatasaray
defeated Champions League winners Real Madrid 2–1. Belözoğlu
also played in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
with Galatasaray that season.
After a post-match brawl in a 2006 World Cup qualification
playoff match with Switzerland, Emre was banned for Turkey's
next six matches and fined CHF 15,000 (Ł6,622) plus costs of
CHF 1,000 (Ł440) for his alleged part in the brawl. The FIFA
Appeal Committee later reduced the ban to four matches.
On 12 January 2007, Emre was charged by The Football
Association with using racially-aggravated abusive and/or
insulting words in an incident during a 3-0 loss to Everton
on 30 December. Newcastle were unable to comment until
Belözoğlu himself replied to the charge. He later stated he
was angered by claims that he was racist, citing his
friendship with room-mate Obafemi Martins as evidence he was
not.
On 16 February 2007, the FA announced another investigation
into alleged racist remarks from Emre, this time aimed
against Bolton Wanderers striker El Hadji Diouf. The
incident allegedly took place during Bolton's 2-1 win at St
James' Park on 15 October 2006. Emre's agent denied the
accusation. Diouf subsequently decided not to press charges.
However on 1 March 2007 Emre faced a third racism
allegation, when Watford defender Alhassan Bangura claimed
he was subject of racist abuse from Emre.
On 19 March 2007 the allegations of Emre using
racially-aggravated abusive and/or insulting words during
the Everton match were found not proven by the FA. In
September, 2007 Watford player Jordan Stewart withdrew his
support from the 'Kick Racism out of Football' campaign,
citing the FA's failure to act on the Everton incident in
December, 2006 as the reason. |
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since November 16, 2007