Rıdvan Dilmen
A dazzling playmaker whose flair and technical brilliance made him a Turkish football icon and a fiercely outspoken pundit.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Turkish football player and manager·Birthday: August 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rıdvan Dilmen's name is synonymous with audacious skill in Turkish football. Emerging in the 1980s, he became the creative heartbeat of the formidable Fenerbahçe squad, captivating fans with his dribbling, vision, and a penchant for the spectacular. His playing style, full of feints and daring runs, earned him the nickname 'Şeytan' (The Devil) for his ability to torment defenders. While injuries curtailed the peak of his career, his legacy as one of the Süper Lig's most gifted offensive players was secure. After hanging up his boots, Dilmen transitioned seamlessly into television punditry, where his blunt, uncompromising opinions on the game have made him a controversial but unmissable figure in sports media.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rıdvan was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rıdvan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Rıdvan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played a key role for Fenerbahçe, one of Turkey's biggest clubs, during a successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- Earned 31 caps for the Turkish national team, representing his country as a creative midfielder.
- Won the Turkish Footballer of the Year award in 1990.
- Became a leading and highly influential football analyst and commentator on Turkish television.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'Şeytan Rıdvan' (Devil Rıdvan), was given for his tricky and unpredictable style of play.
He is known for his distinctive mustache, which became part of his public image.
Dilmen's son, Derin Dilmen, is also a professional footballer.
He has been involved in several high-profile verbal spats with coaches and other pundits on air.
“On the pitch, you either make the play or you become the play.”
