Zeki Riza Sporel
Encyclopedia
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 records. He was also a forerunner for Turkey
, becoming the first player to score for the team. He is often cited as the best striker of Turkish soccer.
He is also younger brother of Hasan Kamil Sporel
who both played for and been president of Fenerbahçe.
in 1898, Zeki's career began in the Fenerbahçe youth system, where he spent three years. He was promoted to the senior squad during the 1915–16 season at the age of eighteen. His left foot was dominant, as he scarcely used his right foot and his head. Zeki set many scoring records at Fenerbahçe, including most goals, most goals in a single match, and fastest goal. He joined Galatasaray SK in 1921. On February 12, 1931, Zeki scored a record eight goals in a match as Fenerbahçe won 16–0. His prolific goal-scoring ability led him to be affectionately named Üstad (The Master). The entirety of his career was spent at Fenerbahçe, retiring in 1934 after eighteen years of service. Zeki's final goal record was 470 goals in 352 matches.
, Zeki played and scored in the country's first international match against Romania
. He rounded off the performance with a second goal in the other half. Winning sixteen caps, Zeki led the team ten times while scoring 15 goals.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
football player. He plied his trade at the striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
position for Fenerbahçe and the Turkey national football team
Turkey national football team
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...
. 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 records. He was also a forerunner for Turkey
Turkey national football team
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...
, becoming the first player to score for the team. He is often cited as the best striker of Turkish soccer.
He is also younger brother of Hasan Kamil Sporel
Hasan Kamil Sporel
Hasan Kamil Sporel was a famous Turkish football player. He plied his trade at the defender position for Fenerbahçe S.K. and the Turkey national football team. His started his professionel career with Fenerbahçe S.K. in 1911. Hasan spent his entire career with the club, setting numerous records....
who both played for and been president of Fenerbahçe.
Early life & club career
Born in IstanbulIstanbul
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...
in 1898, Zeki's career began in the Fenerbahçe youth system, where he spent three years. He was promoted to the senior squad during the 1915–16 season at the age of eighteen. His left foot was dominant, as he scarcely used his right foot and his head. Zeki set many scoring records at Fenerbahçe, including most goals, most goals in a single match, and fastest goal. He joined Galatasaray SK in 1921. On February 12, 1931, Zeki scored a record eight goals in a match as Fenerbahçe won 16–0. His prolific goal-scoring ability led him to be affectionately named Üstad (The Master). The entirety of his career was spent at Fenerbahçe, retiring in 1934 after eighteen years of service. Zeki's final goal record was 470 goals in 352 matches.
International career
A member of the first Turkish national football teamTurkey national football team
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...
, Zeki played and scored in the country's first international match against Romania
Romania 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...
. He rounded off the performance with a second goal in the other half. Winning sixteen caps, Zeki led the team ten times while scoring 15 goals.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 26 October 1923 | Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,... , 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... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
2–2 | Draw | Friendly | ||||||
| 2. | 26 October 1923 | Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,... , 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... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
2–2 | Draw | Friendly | ||||||
| 3. | 17 June 1924 | Helsingfors Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 4. | 17 June 1924 | Helsingfors Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 5. | 17 June 1924 | Helsingfors Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 6. | 17 June 1924 | Helsingfors Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 7. | 19 June 1924 | Reval Stadium, Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... , Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
1–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 8. | 19 June 1924 | Reval Stadium, Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... , Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
1–4 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 9. | 22 June 1924 | LSB Stadions, Riga Riga Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,... , Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... |
1–3 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 10. | 22 June 1924 | LSB Stadions, Riga Riga Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,... , Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... |
1–3 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 11. | 22 June 1924 | LSB Stadions, Riga Riga Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,... , Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... |
1–3 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 12. | 1 May 1925 | Stadionul Romcomit Stadionul Romcomit Romcomit Stadium was a football stadium in Bucharest, standing on the site now occupied by the University of Bucharest. -History:The stadium was inaugurated in 1923, being considered at the time a very modern one... , Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
1–2 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 13. | 2 October 1925 | Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,... , 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... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
1–2 | Lost | Friendly | ||||||
| 14. | 14 October 1927 | Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,... , 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... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
3–1 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| 15. | 14 October 1927 | Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,... , 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... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
3–1 | Win | Friendly | ||||||
| Correct as of 10 February 2010 | |||||||||||
Honours
- Istanbul Football LeagueIstanbul Football LeagueIstanbul Lig or originally Constantinople Football Association League was founded by James La Fontaine and Henry Pears and started with the 1904-05 season with only four teams as "Istanbul Sunday League". The matches between the four teams, Moda FC, HMS Imogene FC, Elpis FC, and Cadi-Keuy FC were...
(4): 1920–21, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1932–33 - Istanbul Friday LeagueIstanbul Friday LeagueThe Istanbul Friday League was founded in 1912, and replaced the Istanbul Sunday League in 1915. Seven clubs took part in the league when it was first found in 1912: Anadoluspor, Darülfünun, Terbiye-i Bedeniye, Türk İdman Ocağı, Mümaresatı Bedeniye, Şehremini, and Fenerbahçe S.K.-Champions:-Past...
(2): 1920–21, 1922–23 - Istanbul ShieldIstanbul ShieldIstanbul Shield was a soccer tournament which organised between 1930 and 1939. The final match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in 1931 wasn't played. And Istanbulspor received the shield.Fenerbahçe won the trophy for 4 times...
(1): 1930 - General Harington CupGeneral Harington CupGeneral Harington Cup is the most important cup for Turkish multisport club Fenerbahçe SK in Fenerbahçe Museum.At the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire were considered defeated and its lands have been invaded by Italian, French, Greek and British troops...
(1): 1923