Zeki Rıza Sporel
Footballer · died at 71
Profile
| Age | died at 71 |
|---|---|
| Birth date | February 28, 1898 |
| Birthplace | İstanbul |
| Died | November 3, 1969 |
| Profession | Footballer, Politician |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
Zeki Rıza Sporel — Biography
Born Mehmed Zeki on 28 February 1898 in Istanbul, Zeki Rıza Sporel died in the same city on 3 November 1969. He spent his entire playing career at Fenerbahçe, rising through the club's youth ranks to the first team and establishing himself as one of its most prolific forwards, finishing with 470 career goals for the club. In 1923 he scored the first-ever goal for the Turkey national football team, in a match against Romania, making him one of the defining figures of the national side's earliest generation.
Alongside football, Sporel also served in the military and worked as a veterinarian; after the 1934 Surname Law, he was personally given the surname ‘Sporel’ by Atatürk. After his playing days he moved into club administration, serving as president of Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü from 1955 to 1958, and he also entered politics, joining the Democrat Party in 1946. His brother, Hasan Kâmil Sporel, is likewise remembered in Fenerbahçe's history as both a player and a club president.
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