Today is a very sad day in the football world.

My dear friends, I have some very disappointing and heart breaking news to bear. Today on the 5th of July, 2008, the beloved Turkish football federation president, Hasan Dogan passed away as a result of a sudden and massive heart attack. He was 52 years old.

Hasan Dogan came to power only a few months ago and was immediately loved by all. He jumpstarted programs to improve the infrastructure of some of the smaller anatolian teams and worked hard to develop the Turkish youth soccer academies. He brought a feeling of goodwill and cooperation between the many clubs of the league and can be credited with the bridging of the many gaps between the big three clubs.

Before Hasan Dogan, referees in Turkey were widely considered corrupt and lacking in quality. After Hasan Dogan, the quality of Turkish referees was considered to be better than many European referees. However Hasan Dogan was special in other ways as well. He stood for a drastic change from the old inefficient adminstration and was loved by all fans of football, no matter what team they supported. I have never heard one word of disdain or even criticism against him.

Hasan dogan leaves behind his wife and two children. May he rest in peace. Merhuma Allah’tan rahmet, kederli ailesi ve Türk futbol camiasına başsağlığı dilerim.