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INTERNATIONAL U12 IZMIR CUP

International U12 İzmir Cup has organized by Altınordu Football Club continously since 2013 which becomes one of the biggest international youth football tournaments of Europe.

Starting with 8 participant teams in 2013, the tournament gathered 72 teams at İzmir in 2019. 8 teams in 2013, 12 teams in 2014, 48 teams in 2015, 2016, 2017, 56 teams in 2018 and in 2019, 72 teams participated to the tournament which has organized under the motto ‘‘The World Gathers At İzmir’’. The last champion of the tournament is Manchester City that beat PSV in the final after penalties.

292 different teams had participated to International İzmir U12 Cup until today such as AC Milan, Ajax, Anderlecht, Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar, Benfica, Celtic, Chelsea, Hamburg, Lazio, Leicester City, Manchester City, O. Marseille, PSG, Parma, Porto, PSV, Rangers, Valencia, Werder Bremen, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Twente, Zenit.

Naci Ünüvar who played in the tournament with Ajax in 2015 edition, signed a professional contract with his club. In the same tournament; the MVP, Dillon Hoogewerf transferred to Manchester United.

In the 2015 final between Athletic Club Bilbao and PSG, Athletic Bilbao won the cup with a score of 2-1.

Altınordu Sports Club was founded in Izmir on December 26, 1923.

FOUNDATION PERIOD

Altınordu Sports Club was founded in Izmir on December 26, 1923. Its red color is derived from the blood of our martyrs and veterans, the unsung heroes of the War of Independence, and its dark blue color is derived from steel, representing solidity and strength. The founders of the club were Süleyman Ferit Bey (Eczacıbaşı), Ahmet Şerafettin Bey, Kemal Kamil Bey (Aktaş), Edip Berkant Bey, Pharmacist Sermet Bey, Numanzade Ali Rıza Bey, Teacher Mehmet Rıza Bey, Doctor Hacı Hasanzade Ethem Bey, Clerk Selami Bey, Surgeon Necipzade Ali Bey, and Pharmacist Rıza Bey. After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, sports activities, which had been suspended due to the War of Independence, were revived, and the Altınay club in Eşrefpaşa and the Sakarya club on Mısırlı Street (now Hatay Street) were added to Karşıyaka (1912) and Altay (1914). However, in the Basmane-Tilkilik-Namazgâh neighborhoods, where Izmir's most established families were located, no sports club was established. With the initiatives of Mustafa (Balöz), Hüseyin (Yurdakul), and Mehmet Hancıoğlu (Hoca Mehmet), young people of the neighborhood, and with the help of Dr. Hacı Hasanzade Ethem Bey, one of the residents of the community, the idea of establishing a sports club in this region was explained to the other elders of the neighborhood gathered in Ragıp Paşa Kıraathanesi. Upon everyone's agreement, the issue was also said to Süleyman Ferit Bey by Hacı Hasanzade Ethem and Dr. Cevdet Fuat Bey. Süleyman Ferit Bey was no stranger to the Tilkilik-Hatuniye-Namazgah and İkiçeşmelik neighborhoods. He knew these neighborhoods and their inhabitants well, and he knew that there were people among them with whom he had collaborated during the Kuvayi Milliye years. He told his friends that this work had to be done immediately. Then he started his career by providing a sample of the association's charter from the Vilayet Mektubi Kalemi.

FINDING THE NAME ALTINORDU

The most crucial step was the name of the club. Almost every day, there were essential discussions on the name. The enemy had been driven into the sea, the homeland had been liberated, and our heroic army had won a great victory. A name befitting this magnificent picture was sought. The first names that came to mind were Zafer, Hilal, and Kurtuluş. At each meeting, other names were discussed. Among these, the names Göktürk and Sakatürk started to gain weight. Among those present at the meeting, Teacher Mehmet Rıza Bey insisted on the name Göktürk. Süleyman Ferit Bey (Eczacıbaşı), who was in charge of the meeting, put forward the idea of "I also found a Turkish name, let's make Altınordu, which is also the name of a great Turkish Empire, the name of the club." And this proposal was accepted without any objection, and the name of the club was taken as Altınordu. Süleyman Ferit Bey became both the name father and the founding president of Altınordu.

ALTINORDU IN ISTANBUL

After the founding board was formed, it became clear that there was a club with the same name in Istanbul. Deputy Governor Murat Bey was asked about the situation, and it was understood that it would not be an obstacle. The name of the club was made official, and Altınordu Sports Club was officially founded on December 26, 1923. Altınordu played its first official match against Altay. Altınordu won this match, which was organized under Şifa Pharmacy Cup immediately after the club's establishment, with a score of 2-1.

FOOTBALL EXCITEMENT BEGINS

Having been champion in the Izmir League 6 times, Altınordu started to play in this League after the National League was organized in 1959. After failing to achieve the desired results in the first two seasons, Altınordu avoided relegation thanks to the dam matches. In the 1961-1962 season, they finished 8th in the League and made a good record. In the 1964-1965 season, Altınordu did not avoid relegation this time but managed to return to the National League one year later. Altınordu's 1st League adventure ended in the 1969-70 season. After being relegated to the 2nd League that season, Altınordu bounced back in 1977-78, despite being relegated to the 3rd League. In the meantime, Altınordu, which came to the forefront of basketball by ranking at the national level, took its place in history as the first champion of the Basketball Men's 1st League with the championship it won in 1966-67. After 13 seasons of uninterrupted struggle in the Second League, Altınordu finished 3rd from the bottom of the 2nd League Group B in the 1991-1992 season and was relegated to the 3rd League, and in 1995-1996, it finished last in the 3rd League Group 7 and was relegated to the Amateur Division. After six years of struggling for the championship in the Amateur Division, Altınordu overcame its lousy luck in the 2002-2003 season and said "hello" to the 3rd League again after years. In 2007-2008, Altınordu, which was eliminated from Bingöl Belediyespor and Keçiörengücü in the play-off series in Trabzon, continued its ascent and bought the 2nd League ticket. However, the club, which could not achieve the desired stability, was relegated to the 3rd League in 2008-2009, and in the 2010-2011 season, it made the playoffs by finishing 5th in the group. In the play-off matches, the club defeated Afyonkarahisarspor in the semi-finals and Darıca Gençlerbirliği in the final and returned to the TFF 2nd League. However, his struggle here did not last long, and at the end of the 2011-2012 season, he was again among the teams relegated to the 3rd League.

The football department of the club, which was managed in the association model between 1923 and 2012, was bought bu businessman and sportsman Seyit Mehmet Özkan in 2012 when it was in the fourth level professional league. After winning the 4th level league (TFF 3rd League) championship in 2013, the 3rd level league (TFF 2nd League) championship in 2014, the club has been in the Turkish second level league (TFF 1st League) since 2015. In the restructuring of the club, two famous European breeding clubs were taken as "role models". ATHLETIC BILBAO, a club that only features children born on its own soil, and AJAX AMSTERDAM, a club that plays total football.

In the restructuring of the club, two famous European educatory clubs were taken as "role models". ATHLETIC BILBAO, a club that include only children who were born on their own region, and AJAX AMSTERDAM, a club that plays total football. In order to gain a permanent place in the football world, a two-stage plan was made. The first 10 years is to become a "Educatory Club", to figure out the subtitles of this business and applt it. In the second 10 years, to gain a permanent place in the Turkish and European football market as a "Competitive Club" with players trained from its own region.

Between 2012 and 2015, the facility and staffing works were completed.

In Selçuk, one of the most beautiful districts of Izmir, 8 fields of different sizes were built on 60 decares of land. Five of these are natural grass and three are synthetic.

The Altınordu Football Academy (ALFA) was established on 80 acres of land in Torbalı, which is closer to İzmir.

ALFA has a total of 8 football ground of various sizes, 4 of which are natural and 4 of which are synthetic, 3 lodging buildings, an Athlete Health Center, a Futsal and Fitness Center and a Ball Technique Development Center.

ALFA started its activities in 2015 with 100 naturally talented young players between the ages of 14 and 18 and 20 coaches who are full-time boarders.

There are 2 phases of football training at ALFA. The first period is the "Basic Performance Training" period at the ages of 13, 14 and 15. The second phase is "Advanced Performance Training" at the ages of 16, 17 and 18. Between 2015 and 2022, 38 of our young players have played for the U15, U16, U16, U17, U18 and U19 Turkish Youth National Team.

Among them, the two most famous players that we are proud of are Çağlar Söyüncü and Cengiz Ünder, who are currently in the Turkish National Team squad.

Çağlar Söyüncü is currently playing for English Premier League Club Leicester City and Cengiz Ünder is currently playing for French League Club Marseille.