Historical analysis / Legends
How did Can Bartu go from two sports to Italy?
From international basketball to Fenerbahçe’s attack and Serie A: we follow Can Bartu through his appearances, goals and changing roles.
Updated: 29 October 2026
More than playing two sports
Saying Can Bartu played football and basketball is accurate but incomplete. Neither was merely a school activity. He played for Fenerbahçe’s senior basketball side from 1955 to 1957 and made six internationals: five senior and one youth. Choosing football meant leaving a sport in which he had already reached international level.
Professional football made combining the sports difficult. His basketball career also predates the later national home-and-away league, so modern league honours would be an inappropriate measure. His distinction was reaching senior and international selection in two different sports at a young age.
Photo information
Image record and usage information ↗- 1955Fenerbahçefootball and basketball
- 1961Fiorentina
- 1962European final; Venezia
- 1964Lazio
- 1967Fenerbahçereturn
- 1970Retirement from football
Goals and trophies at Fenerbahçe
The broad club record for his Fenerbahçe spells in 1955–1961 and 1967–1970 is 326 appearances and 162 goals, about 0.50 per game within that scope. It is not a national-league-only rate. His first spell covered the Istanbul league and the national league’s foundation; the second brought back an experienced player from Italy.
He played in four national league title seasons: 1959, 1960/61, 1967/68 and 1969/70. Alongside two Istanbul league championships he won the 1967/68 Turkish Cup. That season’s Presidential Cup was awarded automatically for the domestic double, rather than won in a played final.
Table values
| Club | Seasons | League apps | Goals | Goals / match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiorentina | 1961/62, 1963/64 | 24 | 2 | 0.08 |
| Venezia | 1962/63 | 29–30 | 8 | 0.27–0.28 |
| Lazio | 1964/65–1966/67 | 46 | 4 | 0.09 |
Italy was more than one season
He joined Fiorentina in 1961, spent 1962/63 on loan at Venezia, returned to Florence, then played for Lazio from 1964 to 1967. His two Fiorentina seasons produced 24 Serie A appearances and two goals; three Lazio seasons brought 46 and four. Venezia was his most productive Italian scoring season with eight goals, although appearance records differ between 29 and 30.
Fiorentina finished third and fourth in those seasons. Venezia finished 17th and were relegated in 1962/63, and his last Lazio season also ended in relegation. His career abroad was not an uninterrupted trophy story. Selection for clubs with different competitive circumstances nevertheless gives substance to his reputation beyond Türkiye.
He played in the first match of the 1962 Cup Winners’ Cup final for Fiorentina and was already at Venezia when the replay took place four months later. That unusual detail should not overshadow his six years in Italy.
The return, internationals and legacy
He scored six goals in 26 senior football internationals. Alongside his basketball caps, that makes two sports represented internationally. The shirt exchange at Metin Oktay’s 1969 farewell and his later move into sports journalism after retiring in 1970 helped sustain his public presence.
His career matters for more than appearing in one final. He reached international level in two sports, won titles with two Fenerbahçe generations and played in Italy for years. The scoring totals show his production; those transitions suggest an ability to adapt across teams and sporting environments.