Portrait of Arif Erdem

Birthday profile

Arif Erdem

Turkish association football player (born 1972)

Born
January 2, 1972
Age in 2026
54
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Birth year
1972

About Arif Erdem

Arif Erdem (born 2 January 1972) is a Turkish retired football manager and former professional player who played in the forward position. Starting out with local club Zeytinburnuspor in 1990, Erdem had a decorated 15-year professional career. He scored 106 goals in 341 league matches and finished joint top scorer (Gol Kralı) of the Süper Lig with İlhan Mansız at the conclusion of the 2001–02 season. During his 14 years with Galatasaray, Erdem won seven Süper Lig titles and five Turkish Cup titles, as well as the UEFA Cup in 2000. He was a part of the Turkey national team that finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Erdem was capped 60 times, scoring eleven goals. He managed İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor from 2011 to 2012. Erdem played for Zeytinburnuspor before signing his first professional contract with Galatasaray on 1 June 1991. Erdem finished his first stint with Galatasaray after winning the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, totaling six league titles, four cup titles, and four other cup titles. I didn't even think about it, I signed the first offer I received." Erdem was plagued by injuries during his tenure, and he left the Spanish club after six months, scoring one goal in two appearances.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Arif Erdem timeline

  1. Starting out with local club Zeytinburnuspor in 1990, Erdem had a decorated 15-year professional career.
  2. Erdem played for Zeytinburnuspor before signing his first professional contract with Galatasaray on 1 June 1991.
  3. Erdem finished his first stint with Galatasaray after winning the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, totaling six league titles, four cup titles, and four other cup titles.
  4. During his 14 years with Galatasaray, Erdem won seven Süper Lig titles and five Turkish Cup titles, as well as the UEFA Cup in 2000.

The world when Arif Erdem was born

Arif Erdem was born in 1972. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1972

  • #1 song"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
  • Top movieThe Godfather
  • Top TV showAll in the Family
  • Best-selling bookJonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMark Spitz wins 7 gold medals at Munich Olympics
  • Top headlineWatergate break-in begins Nixon's downfall
  • Technology milestoneAtari founded
  • Defining fadPong (first mainstream video game)
  • Notable inventionPong video game
  • World population3.85 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRichard Nixon
  • Sports championOakland Athletics (World Series)
  • Also wonLos Angeles Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population209.9M

1972 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Arif Erdem's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19722026
Gas$0.36$3.45/gal
Average home$19,800$435,000
Average income$12,600$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.70$11.95
Postage stamp$0.08$0.73
Population209.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Transfermarkt, WorldFootball.net. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.