İlyas Tüfekçi

İlyas Tüfekçi — Biography

İlyas Tüfekçi is a former Turkey international forward and manager, one of the first representatives of the generation of players discovered in Germany and brought to Turkey. He won three league titles between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, and all of his goals for the national team came while he played for Fenerbahçe.

He moved to Berlin with his family at 11 and developed in the youth ranks of Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart. In 1979-80 he was top scorer for Stuttgart II with 18 goals, and the team became German amateur champions. He scored on his Bundesliga debut against Dortmund on 27 September 1980 and netted 13 goals in 24 games that season. At Schalke 04 he helped win promotion from the 2. Bundesliga in 1981-82. He joined Fenerbahçe in 1983, contributed 14 goals to the 1984-85 title, and was in the squad that eliminated Bordeaux in 1985-86 and scored against IFK Göteborg in the return leg. In 1986 he moved to Galatasaray under Jupp Derwall, won two more titles in 1986-87 and 1987-88, and played in the 1988-89 European Cup semi-final. He played for Zeytinburnuspor in 1990-91 and retired on 31 March 1991.

He began coaching in 1994 and managed teams including Karabükspor, Zeytinburnuspor, Vanspor and Göztepe; in 1994-95 he was assistant to his former coach Mustafa Denizli at Kocaelispor, and in 1998 he led Sakaryaspor to a title.