Özalan set an undesirable record in the Süper Lig, earning three red cards in the space of six months.

[4] His partnership with Olof Mellberg as central-defensive partners was cut short as Özalan injured his ankle which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Media reports and comments made by Taylor led to Özalan becoming a very unpopular figure at the club, missing much of the 2002–03 season.

[8] In consequence to his earlier booing, Özalan's goal celebration served to mock the Aston Villa fans by placing his finger on his mouth.

The Turkish defender was then made public enemy number one in England[citation needed] in late 2003 after a run-in with David Beckham during the Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul.

He first confronted the England skipper after his first-half penalty miss, glowering over him and rubbing heads with him in full view of the referee.

He followed that up by prodding a finger into Beckham's face as the players came off the pitch at half-time, sparking a tunnel brawl.

[9]Werder Bremen, Hamburger SV, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hertha Berlin and Bologna wanted to sign Özalan.

He opted for a move to South Korean K-League side Incheon United's first foray into professional football in 2004.

A very memorable moment in Özalan's career in complete contrast to his general fame was during Euro 1996 in the game between Croatia and Turkey.

In a counterattack, he allowed Croatian Goran Vlaović to dribble the ball half the field without fouling him to stop the attack.

His final match was against Switzerland in the 2006 FIFA World Cup second leg play-off tie in Istanbul, conceding a second-minute penalty by handball, converted by Alexander Frei which resulted in Turkey's elimination despite a 4–2 victory.

[16] In 2021, he was involved in a brawl in the Turkish parliament where he was seen fighting against Özgür Özel, a politician of the Republican People's Party (CHP).