Turkey national football team
Encyclopedia
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey
in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation
, the governing body for football in Turkey
. They are affiliated with UEFA
. The team is, according to the FIFA World Rankings
, ranked 28th in the world.
Turkey has qualified three times for the World Cup
finals, in 1950
, 1954
, and 2002
, although they withdrew from the 1950 event. Turkey has also qualified three times for the UEFA European Championship, in 1996, 2000 and 2008. They have reached the semi-finals of three major tournaments: the 2002 World Cup
, the 2003 Confederations Cup
, and Euro 2008.
in 1923 drawing 2–2. Although Turkey qualified for the 1950 World Cup
, beating Syria
7–0, they had to withdraw due to financial problems. Turkey then qualified for the 1954 World Cup
after a play-off with Spain
. The Turkish team first lost 4–1 to Spain, but a 1–0 win a few days later initiated a replay. On that occasion, they tied 2–2 after, booking their place after a coin toss. Turkey was put in a group along with Hungary
and West Germany. The Turks, however, never played Hungary due to the tournament format, and a 4–1 defeat by the Germans was followed by Turkey carrying out a 7–0 win over South Korea. Turkey lost the play-off to West Germany 7–2. In 1956 Turkey did however play Hungary, in a friendly in Istanbul, beating what was one of the strongest teams of the era 3–1.
Despite the introduction of a national league, and showings by Turkish clubs in European competition, the 1960s would be a barren time for the national team. The 1970s saw Turkey holding back in the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, but the team was a point too short to qualify for Euro 1972
and Euro 1976
. The Turkish team also suffered their worst defeats with 8–0 scorelines against Poland
and twice against England
. Yet the 1990 World Cup
qualifiers would mark a turning point for Turkish football, with Turkey only missing out on qualification in the final game.
Turkey qualified for Euro 1996
, beating both Switzerland
and Sweden
2–1 along the way. At Euro 1996, they lost all their matches without scoring a single goal. They did, however, go home with an award: the fair-play award, given to Alpay Özalan
. Turkey qualified for Euro 2000 after winning a play-off against Ireland
. Turkey lost their first match 2–1 to Italy
, they drew their second match against Sweden
0–0, and beat host nation Belgium 2–0, making it the first time in the history of the European Championship
that a host nation had been eliminated in the first round, brought Turkey into the last eight of the tournament where they were beaten 2–0 by Portugal
.
For the 2002 FIFA World Cup
Turkey finished second in their qualifying group, despite starting well and being the favourites to top the group. They lost 2–1 to Sweden
in the crucial match that would decide the top spot. The Turks were forced to play the play-offs against Austria
. They defeated the Austrians 6–0 on aggregate and booked their place at the finals. The Turkish team started the 2002 World Cup
with a 2–1 defeat against eventual winners Brazil
. Turkey qualified from the group stage with a 3–0 win against China
, after drawing 1–1 with Costa Rica
.
Turkey then faced home team Japan
in the second round, beating them 1–0.
The Turkish team continued their run, as they beat Senegal
1–0 on a golden goal
to book their place in the semi-finals where a 1–0 defeat against eventual tournament winners Brazil forced them to play the third place match, and a bronze medal was won after a 3–2 victory over a surprise South Korean team.
Hakan Şükür
scored Turkey's first goal in 10.8 seconds, even when the South Koreans kicked off first. It was the fastest goal in World Cup history.
Tens of thousands of flag-waving Turkish fans greeted the World Cup squad on their return to Istanbul
, were they joined a massive street party at Taksim Square
.
In the summer of 2003, Turkey reached third place at the 2003 Confederations Cup. In the group stages, they drew 2–2 against Brazil
, eliminating them from the tournament. Turkey lost to eventual tournament winners France
3–2 in the semi-final match. Turkey then defeated Colombia
2–1 to win the bronze medal. The Turkish team failed to qualify for Euro 2004 on play-offs due to a loss to Latvia
after finishing second in their group.
The Turkish team once again narrowly missed out on the World Cup
finals after failing to win a play-off, this time on away goals against Switzerland
, again after finishing second in their group. There were scenes of violence after the game on and off the pitch where the Turkish team brawled with Swiss players down the tunnel.
Turkey qualified for their first international tournament in six years by finishing second behind Greece
in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group C to reach the European Championships. They were placed alongside Switzerland
, Portugal
, and the Czech Republic
in Group A
. In their first match, they played Portugal and were beaten 2–0, but wins over Switzerland (2–1) and Czech Republic
(3–2) – both secured by late goals – brought qualification for the knockout stages.
Again, Turkey knocked out a host nation – Switzerland – in the group stages for the second time.
The quarter-final against Croatia
was goalless after 90 minutes, and Croatia led 1–0 in the final minute of extra time, but another late Turkish goal by forward Semih Şentürk
brought the game to penalties. The goal raised some controversy with Croatia fans and Croatia's coach, Slaven Bilić
, who claimed that the goal had been scored after extra time had elapsed. This complaint, however, was overruled, and the game went into penalties. Turkey beat out Croatia in penalties 3–1.
They went into the semi-final against Germany
with just 14 outfield players available as a result of injuries and suspensions, but scored first and were drawing 2–2 in the last minute of the match, until Germany scored a third goal in the last few seconds and Turkey was thus eliminated. Both Russia
and Turkey were given bronze medals in the dressing rooms after the semi-finals.
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Turkey had a mixed qualifying campaign, finishing with 15 points and missing out on a play-off place to Bosnia and Herzegovina
with 19 points. Spain
won Group 5 to qualify, winning every game in the process. Coach Fatih Terim
announced he would be resigning his post following their failure to qualify.
Turkey were drawn in Group A
in qualification
for UEFA Euro 2012, together with Kazakhstan
, Austria
, Belgium, Germany
, and Azerbaijan
.
matches against Croatia
on November 11 and 15, 2011.
Caps and goals are correct as of November 15, 2011.
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Third place (1): 2002
Third place (1): 2003
Semi-finals (1): 2008
" for its third place achievement at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. All the team members, coachs and officials were bestowed by a medal.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation
Turkish Football Federation
The Turkish Football Federation , also called the Turkish Football Association, is the governing body of football in Turkey. It was formed on 23 April 1923. It organizes the Turkish national teams and the Turkish football league. By 2004, there were 4,956 football clubs organized in Turkey, and a...
, the governing body for football in Turkey
Football in Turkey
Association football is a national sport in Turkey, tracing its roots back to the Ottoman Empire. The first matches were played in Selanik, now known as Thessaloníki, in 1875. The sport was brought over by some lovely English people living in the area. The Turkish football league system currently...
. They are affiliated with UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. The team is, according to the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
, ranked 28th in the world.
Turkey has qualified three times for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals, in 1950
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
, 1954
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
, and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, although they withdrew from the 1950 event. Turkey has also qualified three times for the UEFA European Championship, in 1996, 2000 and 2008. They have reached the semi-finals of three major tournaments: the 2002 World Cup
2002 World Cup
2002 World Cup may refer to:*Alpine skiing – 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup*Athletics – 2002 IAAF World Cup*Field Hockey:** 2002 Men's World Hockey Cup** 2002 Women's World Hockey Cup...
, the 2003 Confederations Cup
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
, and Euro 2008.
History
The Turkish national team played their first ever match against RomaniaRomania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in 1923 drawing 2–2. Although Turkey qualified for the 1950 World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
, beating Syria
Syria national football team
The Syria national football team represents Syria in association football and is controlled by the Syrian Football Association, the governing body for football in Syria. Syria's home grounds are Abbasiyyin Stadium and Aleppo International Stadium...
7–0, they had to withdraw due to financial problems. Turkey then qualified for the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
after a play-off with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. The Turkish team first lost 4–1 to Spain, but a 1–0 win a few days later initiated a replay. On that occasion, they tied 2–2 after, booking their place after a coin toss. Turkey was put in a group along with Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and West Germany. The Turks, however, never played Hungary due to the tournament format, and a 4–1 defeat by the Germans was followed by Turkey carrying out a 7–0 win over South Korea. Turkey lost the play-off to West Germany 7–2. In 1956 Turkey did however play Hungary, in a friendly in Istanbul, beating what was one of the strongest teams of the era 3–1.
Despite the introduction of a national league, and showings by Turkish clubs in European competition, the 1960s would be a barren time for the national team. The 1970s saw Turkey holding back in the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, but the team was a point too short to qualify for Euro 1972
1972 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Statistics:*Fastest goal: 24 minutes**Raoul Lambert **Gerd Müller -Top scorers:...
and Euro 1976
1976 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels...
. The Turkish team also suffered their worst defeats with 8–0 scorelines against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
and twice against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. Yet the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
qualifiers would mark a turning point for Turkish football, with Turkey only missing out on qualification in the final game.
Turkey qualified for Euro 1996
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
, beating both Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
2–1 along the way. At Euro 1996, they lost all their matches without scoring a single goal. They did, however, go home with an award: the fair-play award, given to Alpay Özalan
Alpay Özalan
Alpay Fehmi Özalan is a former Turkish footballer.Alpay is currently a member of the management committee of Siirtspor.-Playing style:...
. Turkey qualified for Euro 2000 after winning a play-off against Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. Turkey lost their first match 2–1 to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, they drew their second match against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
0–0, and beat host nation Belgium 2–0, making it the first time in the history of the European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
that a host nation had been eliminated in the first round, brought Turkey into the last eight of the tournament where they were beaten 2–0 by Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
.
For the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
Turkey finished second in their qualifying group, despite starting well and being the favourites to top the group. They lost 2–1 to Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in the crucial match that would decide the top spot. The Turks were forced to play the play-offs against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. They defeated the Austrians 6–0 on aggregate and booked their place at the finals. The Turkish team started the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
with a 2–1 defeat against eventual winners Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. Turkey qualified from the group stage with a 3–0 win against China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
, after drawing 1–1 with Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
.
Turkey then faced home team Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
in the second round, beating them 1–0.
The Turkish team continued their run, as they beat Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
1–0 on a golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
to book their place in the semi-finals where a 1–0 defeat against eventual tournament winners Brazil forced them to play the third place match, and a bronze medal was won after a 3–2 victory over a surprise South Korean team.
Hakan Şükür
Hakan Sükür
Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a...
scored Turkey's first goal in 10.8 seconds, even when the South Koreans kicked off first. It was the fastest goal in World Cup history.
Tens of thousands of flag-waving Turkish fans greeted the World Cup squad on their return to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, were they joined a massive street party at Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network...
.
In the summer of 2003, Turkey reached third place at the 2003 Confederations Cup. In the group stages, they drew 2–2 against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, eliminating them from the tournament. Turkey lost to eventual tournament winners France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
3–2 in the semi-final match. Turkey then defeated Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
2–1 to win the bronze medal. The Turkish team failed to qualify for Euro 2004 on play-offs due to a loss to Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
after finishing second in their group.
The Turkish team once again narrowly missed out on the World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
finals after failing to win a play-off, this time on away goals against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, again after finishing second in their group. There were scenes of violence after the game on and off the pitch where the Turkish team brawled with Swiss players down the tunnel.
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group C to reach the European Championships. They were placed alongside Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, and the Czech Republic
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
in Group A
UEFA Euro 2008 Group A
Group A of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups competing of nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The group's first round of matches was played on 7 June, with the final round played on 15 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Basel and Geneva...
. In their first match, they played Portugal and were beaten 2–0, but wins over Switzerland (2–1) and Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
(3–2) – both secured by late goals – brought qualification for the knockout stages.
Again, Turkey knocked out a host nation – Switzerland – in the group stages for the second time.
The quarter-final against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
was goalless after 90 minutes, and Croatia led 1–0 in the final minute of extra time, but another late Turkish goal by forward Semih Şentürk
Semih Sentürk
Semih Şentürk is a Turkish footballer who currently plays for Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe as a striker, and also the Turkish national team.-Fenerbahçe:...
brought the game to penalties. The goal raised some controversy with Croatia fans and Croatia's coach, Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilić is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatia national team. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany and England...
, who claimed that the goal had been scored after extra time had elapsed. This complaint, however, was overruled, and the game went into penalties. Turkey beat out Croatia in penalties 3–1.
They went into the semi-final against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
with just 14 outfield players available as a result of injuries and suspensions, but scored first and were drawing 2–2 in the last minute of the match, until Germany scored a third goal in the last few seconds and Turkey was thus eliminated. Both Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and Turkey were given bronze medals in the dressing rooms after the semi-finals.
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Turkey had a mixed qualifying campaign, finishing with 15 points and missing out on a play-off place to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
with 19 points. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
won Group 5 to qualify, winning every game in the process. Coach Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey....
announced he would be resigning his post following their failure to qualify.
Turkey were drawn in Group A
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group A
This page shows the standings and results for Group A of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:- Results and fixtures :...
in qualification
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
for UEFA Euro 2012, together with Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
, Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, Belgium, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
.
Kit
Recent results
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification – Group A
Coaching staff
| Manager |  Abdullah Avcı |
| Assistant manager | Oğuz Çetin Oguz Çetin Oğuz Çetin was a well-known football player in the Turkish Premier Super League.-Career:Born in Adapazarı, Çetin began playing football with local side Sakaryaspor. He started to play regularly for Fenerbahçe in 1988. He became one of the franchise players for Fenerbahçe and Turkish football... |
| Assistant manager | Fuat Usta Fuat Usta Fuat Usta is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.-Career:Born in Samsun, Turkey, Usta grew up in the Netherlands and made his professional debut in 1990 with Fortuna Sittard... |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Engin İpekoğlu Engin Ipekoglu Engin İpekoğlu is a former football goalkeeper. Currently, he is employed as goalkeeper coach to the Turkey national football team.... |
| Physiotherapist |  Arno Philips |
Current squad
The following players were picked for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs
The UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-off ties were played over two legs, with the first legs on 11 November and the second legs on 15 November 2011...
matches against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
on November 11 and 15, 2011.
Caps and goals are correct as of November 15, 2011.
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Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the Turkey squad within the last twelve months.|-----
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FIFA World Cup squads
- 1954 FIFA World Cup
- 2002 FIFA World Cup
UEFA European Football Championship squads
- 1996 UEFA Euro Cup
- 2000 UEFA Euro Cup
- 2008 UEFA Euro Cup
FIFA World Cup
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Did not enter | |||||||
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
Withdrew | |||||||
 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Did not enter | |||||||
 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Qualified But Withdrew | |||||||
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
Round 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 |
 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Withdrew | |||||||
| 1962 1962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... to 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Third place | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 |
| 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... & 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | 2/19 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 17 | |
UEFA European Championship
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 to 1992 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 1996 |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
 2000 |
Quarter-finals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
 2004 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 2008 |
Semi-finals | 5 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 8 | 9 | |
  2012 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | 3/15 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 18 | |
- *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicksPenalty shootout (football)A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
.
- *Turkey advanced to the semi finals via a 3–1 win over Croatia in a penalty shootout.
Confederations Cup record
| Year | Round | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 King Fahd Cup -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano... to 2001 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2003 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Third place | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | |
| 2005 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... to 2009 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | 1/8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | |
ECO Cup record
| Host/Year | Round |
|---|---|
 1965RCD Cup 1965 The RCD Cup 1965 was the first edition of the RCD Cup tournament, held in Tehran, Iran in 1965. This was a three nation tournament played in league format between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.-Results:-------------Rematch:... |
Runners-Up |
 1967RCD Cup 1967 The RCD Cup 1967 was the second edition of the RCD Cup tournament, held in Dhaka, East Pakistan in 1967. This was a three nation tournament played in league format between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.-Results:-------------Iran:... |
Champions |
| 1969 RCD Cup 1969 The RCD Cup 1969 was the third edition of the RCD Cup tournament, held in Ankara, Turkey in 1969. This was a three nation tournament played in league format between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.-Results:-------------Top scorers:... |
Champions |
| 1970 RCD Cup 1970 The RCD Cup 1970 was the fourth edition of the RCD Cup tournament, held in Tehran, Iran in 1970. This was a three nation tournament played in league format between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.... |
Runners-Up |
| 1974 RCD Cup 1974 The RCD Cup 1974 was the fifth edition of the RCD Cup tournament, held in Karachi, Pakistan in 1974. This was a three nation tournament played in league format between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.This was the last tournament under the name of RCD Cup... |
Champions |
 1993ECO Cup 1993 The ECO Cup 1993 was the last edition of the ECO Cup tournament, held in Tehran, Iran in 1993.-Group stage:Group 1------------Group 2---------------------Semi finals:-----Final:- Iran:Head coach: Ali Parvin... |
Did not enter |
Honours
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Third place (1): 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
- FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Third place (1): 2003
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
Semi-finals (1): 2008
Player history
Players in bold are still active.Most capped players
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rüştü Reçber Rüstü Reçber Rüştü Reçber is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig.He has played a key role in the success of the Turkish national squad, and it was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Turkey finished third, that he earned a selection to... |
1994–2009 | 119 | 0 |
| 2 | Hakan Şükür Hakan Sükür Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a... |
1992–2008 | 112 | 51 |
| 3 | Bülent Korkmaz Bülent Korkmaz Bülent Korkmaz is a retired Turkish football centre back and manager of Karabükspor. He played for Galatasaray for his whole career , where fans nicknamed him Büyük Kaptan .... |
1990–2005 | 102 | 2 |
| 4 | Tugay Kerimoğlu Tugay Kerimoglu Tugay Kerimoğlu is a Turkish former footballer who played the majority of his career for Galatasaray and Blackburn Rovers. Primarily a deep-lying playmaker in midfield, he was also competent as an attacking midfielder or playing in the holding role.Continually recognised for his ability he was... |
1990–2007 | 94 | 2 |
| 5 | Alpay Özalan Alpay Özalan Alpay Fehmi Özalan is a former Turkish footballer.Alpay is currently a member of the management committee of Siirtspor.-Playing style:... |
1995–2005 | 90 | 4 |
| 6 | Tuncay Şanlı Tuncay Sanli Tuncay Şanlı , or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg.His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team... |
2003– | 80 | 22 |
| = | Emre Belözoğlu Emre Belözoglu Emre Belözoğlu is a Turkish football midfielder who plays for Fenerbahçe.Having also played for clubs Galatasaray, Internazionale, and Newcastle United, Emre has been a part of the Turkey national team at the 2002 World Cup and at Euro 2008 among other tournaments... |
2000– | 80 | 8 |
| 8 | Ogün Temizkanoglu Ogün Temizkanoglu Ogün Temizkanoğlu is a Turkish former international footballer. He played mostly for Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe as a central defender. He also played for Konyaspor and Akçaabat Sebatspor... |
1990–2002 | 76 | 5 |
| 9 | Abdullah Ercan Abdullah Ercan Abdullah Ercan is a retired Turkish international footballer. He currently manages Gaziantepspor and the Turkey U-17 team.-Career:... |
1992–2003 | 71 | 0 |
| 10 | Oğuz Çetin Oguz Çetin Oğuz Çetin was a well-known football player in the Turkish Premier Super League.-Career:Born in Adapazarı, Çetin began playing football with local side Sakaryaspor. He started to play regularly for Fenerbahçe in 1988. He became one of the franchise players for Fenerbahçe and Turkish football... |
1988–1998 | 70 | 3 |
Top goalscorers
Goalscorers with an equal number of goals are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone.| # | Name | Career | Goals | Caps | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hakan Şükür Hakan Sükür Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a... |
1992–2008 | |||
| 2 | Tuncay Şanlı Tuncay Sanli Tuncay Şanlı , or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg.His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team... |
2002– | |||
| 3 | Lefter Küçükandonyadis Lefter Küçükandonyadis Lefter Küçükandonyadis , born 22 December 1925 in Istanbul, is a Turkish football player of Greek descent, who is recognised as one of the greatest footballers to play for Turkey.-Early life and club career:... |
1948–1961 | |||
| 4 | Metin Oktay Metin Oktay Metin Oktay nicknamed the Uncrowned King by Galatasaray fans, was a legendary Turkish footballer and one of the most successful goalscorers in Turkey.... |
1956–1965 | |||
| = | Cemil Turan Cemil Turan Cemil Turan, is a former Turkish football player and a topscorer and current Director of Fenerbahçe S.K. Academy.... |
1969–1979 | |||
| = | Nihat Kahveci Nihat Kahveci Nihat Kahveci is a Turkish footballer. Nihat plays as a Forward.-Biography:Nihat's family name, Kahveci, means "coffee maker." Many people in Turkey adopted the name of their profession as their family name in the early 20th century, suggesting that Nihat's ancestors were in the coffee business... |
2000– | |||
| 7 | Zeki Rıza Sporel Zeki Riza Sporel Zeki Rıza Sporel 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... |
1923–1932 | |||
| 8 | Arda Turan Arda Turan Arda Turan is a Turkish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid and the Turkish national team, as a left winger. At the age of 22, prior to the 2009–10 season he was made the captain of Galatasaray.... |
2006– | |||
| 9 | Ertuğrul Sağlam Ertugrul Saglam Ertuğrul Sağlam is a Turkish football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of Süper Lig club Bursaspor. He was recently voted one of the top 20 most promising coaches by respected football magazine Champions.... |
1993–1997 | |||
| = | Arif Erdem Arif Erdem Arif Erdem is a retired Turkish international footballer and the current manager of İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor. He played in the forward position. Starting out with local club Zeytinburnuspor in 1990, Erdem had a decorated 15-year professional career... |
1994–2003 | |||
Past managers
| Manager | Turkey career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
1996–2000 | 31 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 45 | 38 | 35.5 |
| |
2000–2004 | 50 | 23 | 13 | 14 | 72 | 50 | 46.0 |
| |
2004 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 00.0 |
| |
2004–2005 | 488 | 175 | 116 | 197 | 29 | 14 | 53.3 |
| |
2005–2009 | 58 | 26 | 18 | 14 | 86 | 71 | 44.8 |
| |
2010 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 75.0 |
| 2010–2011 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 43.7 | |
Overall Record
- Total matches played: 484
- Wins: 174
- Draws: 115
- Losses: 195
- GF: 627
- GA: 724
Decoration
In 2002, the national team was honored with the Turkish "State Medal of Distinguished ServiceState Medal of Distinguished Service (Turkey)
State Medal of Distinguished Service is one of the three civil state decorations of Turkey. The medal was established on October 24, 1983 with the Law on Medals and Orders, Act No. 2933...
" for its third place achievement at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. All the team members, coachs and officials were bestowed by a medal.