Years Team Role Football player | 1912–1915 Fenerbahce Name Zeki Sporel | |
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Date of birth (1898-02-28)February 28, 1898 Date of death November 3, 1969(1969-11-03) (aged 71) Died November 4, 1969, Istanbul, Turkey | ||
Zeki Rıza Sporel (February 28, 1898 – November 3, 1969) was a Turkish football player. He plied his trade at the striker position for Fenerbahçe and the Turkey national football team. His career started in the Fenerbahçe youth teams until he was promoted to the senior team. Zeki spent his entire career with the club, setting numerous records. He was also a forerunner for Turkey, becoming the first player to score for the team. He is often cited as one of the best strikers in Turkish football history.
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He is also younger brother of Hasan Kamil Sporel who both played for and been president of Fenerbahçe.
Early life & club career
Born in Istanbul in 1898, Zeki's career began in the Fenerbahçe youth system, where he spent three years. He was promoted to the senior squad during the 1915–16 season at the age of eighteen. His left foot was dominant, as he scarcely used his right foot and his head. Zeki set many scoring records at Fenerbahçe, including most goals, most goals in a single match, and fastest goal. On February 12, 1931, Zeki scored a record eight goals in a match as Fenerbahçe won 16–0. His prolific goal-scoring ability led him to be affectionately named Üstad (The Master). The entirety of his career was spent at Fenerbahçe, retiring in 1934 after eighteen years of service. Zeki's final goal record was 470 goals in 352 matches.
International career
A member of the first Turkish national football team, Zeki played and scored in the country's first international match against Romania. He rounded off the performance with a second goal in the other half. Winning sixteen caps, Zeki led the team ten times while scoring 15 goals.
Honours
