Lebip Elmas

Lebip Elmas — Biography

Lebip Elmas (1909/1910, Istanbul - 8 September 1987) was a Turkish footballer who played for Fenerbahçe.

Born in Istanbul in 1909 or 1910, he began wearing the shirt of the Fenerbahçe first team in 1933. Playing as a left winger and left back, Elmas made 218 appearances in the yellow-and-navy shirt between 1933 and 1944, scoring 10 goals.

In the Fenerbahçe shirt he celebrated 12 official titles in 11 seasons: four Istanbul League championships in the 1934-35, 1935-36, 1936-37 and 1943-44 seasons, three Istanbul Shield titles in the 1933-34, 1937-38 and 1938-39 seasons, two Turkish Championships in 1935 and 1944, and three National Division (Millî Küme) championships in 1937, 1940 and 1943.

In his first season (1933-34), he was one of the players punished after the Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray match of 23 February 1934, which went down in Turkish football history as the "brawl match", even though he was not involved in the incidents.

Since only three international matches were played during his era (no football took place at national team level between 1937 and 1948 because of the Second World War), Elmas was never able to wear the national team shirt, even in his best years.

After retiring from football, in 1952 he took part in the group that came together within the Fenerbahçe community under the name Kadıköy Group.