One of the rare football-themed films in Turkish cinema that stands out is the “Offside”. The movie revolves around Esnafspor, a football team competing in the amateur league, and its coach Hacı (acted by Savaş Dinçel). From the very first scene, the film establishes a parallel between life and football, as Hacı opens the story with the sentence, “Life closely resembles football.” He further explains, “Football requires personal skills, but it is fundamentally a game played collectively, with people playing as a team. No matter how talented you are, if you don’t have a good team, you will lose.”

The movie set in Bursa in 1982 explores the impact of the military coup on September 12, 1980, and the economic decisions known as the “January 24 resolutions.” It portrays Turkey, which was under the influence of martial law and transitioning to a free-market economy, with football also undergoing industrialization and being affected by these developments.

Cem (acted by Uğur Polat) is a businessman who aligns himself with the political power of that time and aims to buy Esnafspor, a club that fits well with these developments, in order to professionalize the team. While there is competition for the transfer of the striker Serkan, he eventually joins Esnafspor.

Erkan Can, in his role as Goalkeeper Torba Suat, delivers perhaps one of his best acting performances in addition to his roles in “Gemide” and “Takva.” Suat, who falls in love with Nurten (acted by Şahnaz Çakıralp), the beautiful girl from the neighborhood, writes her love letters expressing his feelings, but he never receives a response to his letters. Suat dreams of marrying Nurten, but his world shatters when he hears the news that Nurten will marry Serkan.

The scene where Hacı’s unforgettable love, Aynur (acted by Müjde Ar), comforts Suat at her house is one of the most impactful scenes in the movie. Hacı’s statement to Suat, “People become artists by engraving others’ hearts or by becoming a painting, like you, through engraving,” is a profound sentence for those who have experienced disappointment in love. While Hacı speaks these wise words, it is clear that his unattainable and beloved Aynur plays a significant role in this sentiment.

The movie emphasizes aspects that are still relevant in today’s football world, such as the financial constraints in local clubs and the debate over wearing old jerseys. Hacı’s motivational speech, drawing a parallel to the Brazilian national team, highlights enduring elements in today’s football world.

While Esnafspor continues its struggle in the league, they also bring in Çetin Hoca, who works as a physical education teacher at a school and has been interning in conditioning at St. Etienne in France, to join the club.

Decisions such as the professionalization of local clubs and transitioning from concrete or dirt fields to grass fields put additional pressure on the club. Cem buys Hamdi’s (acted by Sezai Aydın) bakery and decides to demolish it. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Hacı has a life-threatening illness.

In their final match to become champions, Esnafspor plays against a team consisting of Tanju Çolak, Rıdvan Dilmen, and Metin Tekin. Esnafspor leads at halftime and they deliver the good news to Hacı, who is in his final moments at the hospital. Although they lose the match they had been leading in the first half, they plan to say “we won” in order not to upset Hacı. However, when they call to share the news, they learn that Hacı has passed away. As Suat says, “Now they have truly lost,” both in football and in life.

After the moves towards professionalization, Cem finally buys Esnafspor and dismisses all the players except for Serkan. The old stands are no longer the same, and the amateur passion that once existed in the game is lost.

In the movie’s final scene, Suat motivates the young children of the neighborhood he trains by delivering the same speech that Hacı gave them at the beginning of the film: “Life closely resembles football.” The Offside is a movie that deserves to be watched with its talented cast, memorable quotes that become catchphrases, well-shot match scenes, and serves as an indicator of the momentum gained by Turkish cinema in the early 2000s.