Şenol Birol

Şenol Birol — Biography

Şenol Birol was one of the most talked-about Turkish strikers of the early 1960s, and his name lives on in the terrace chant "Şenol-Birol-gol", sung for him and his partner Birol Pekel; he stood out for hard, accurate shooting. Remembered among the unforgettable players of both Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe, the forward was also known for his headed goals. He was tied to Rize not only as his hometown but as a founding member and first head coach of Çaykur Rizespor.

A graduate of the Faculty of Letters, Birol began playing at Zonguldak Kilimlispor and went on to Rize Güneşspor and Sarıyer. After his 1958-59 season at Sarıyer he joined Beşiktaş. There he played alongside his strike partner Birol Pekel and was part of Beşiktaş's first league title in 1959-60. In 1962-63 he scored 34 goals in 41 matches, making him the most prolific Beşiktaş scorer in a single season. In 1963 he moved to Fenerbahçe with Pekel and won two league titles with them, in 1963-64 and 1964-65. He later played for Karşıyaka, returned to Beşiktaş in 1967-68, and in 1968 captained Rizespor for a year.

He won 8 caps for Turkey, scoring 3 goals, and also played twice for the A2 national side, scoring 2. He starred with Pekel and Fatma Girik in the 1965 film Şenol Birol Gool. He died in Rize on 3 March 2022.