Zeki Rıza Sporel

Zeki Rıza Sporel

Personal information
Date of birth	February 28, 1898
Place of birth	Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Date of death	November 3, 1969 (aged 71)
Place of death	Turkey
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1912–1915	Fenerbahçe
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1915–1934	Fenerbahçe	352	(470)
National team
1923–1934	Turkey	16	(15)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Zeki Rıza Sporel (February 28, 1898 – November 3, 1969)^[1] 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 one of the best strikers in Turkish football history.^[2]

He is also younger brother of Hasan Kamil Sporel who both played for and been president of Fenerbahçe.^[3]

Early life & club career

Born in Istanbul 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. 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.^[4]

International career

A member of the first Turkish national football team, 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.^[5] Winning sixteen caps, Zeki led the team ten times while scoring 15 goals.^[4]

Career statistics

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	26 October 1923	Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Romania	2–2	Draw	Friendly
2.	26 October 1923	Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Romania	2–2	Draw	Friendly
3.	17 June 1924	Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	2–4	Win	Friendly
4.	17 June 1924	Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	2–4	Win	Friendly
5.	17 June 1924	Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	2–4	Win	Friendly
6.	17 June 1924	Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	2–4	Win	Friendly
7.	19 June 1924	Reval Stadium (Kalevi aed), Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	1–4	Win	Friendly
8.	19 June 1924	Reval Stadium (Kalevi aed), Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	1–4	Win	Friendly
9.	22 June 1924	LSB Stadions, Riga, Latvia	Latvia	1–3	Win	Friendly
10.	22 June 1924	LSB Stadions, Riga, Latvia	Latvia	1–3	Win	Friendly
11.	22 June 1924	LSB Stadions, Riga, Latvia	Latvia	1–3	Win	Friendly
12.	1 May 1925	Stadionul Romcomit, Bucharest, Romania	Romania	1–2	Win	Friendly
13.	2 October 1925	Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Poland	1–2	Lost	Friendly
14.	14 October 1927	Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Bulgaria	3–1	Win	Friendly
15.	14 October 1927	Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Bulgaria	3–1	Win	Friendly
Correct as of 10 February 2010 [6]

Honours

• Istanbul Football League (4): 1920–21, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1932–33
• Istanbul Friday League (2): 1920–21, 1922–23
• Istanbul Shield (1): 1930
• General Harington Cup (1): 1923

References

1. Zeki Rıza Sporel's profile at Sports Reference.com
2. Forumexe: Zeki Rıza Sporel (Turkish)
3. Fenerbahçe past presidents
4. "Zeki Rıza Sporel". FenerbahceCumhuriyeti.org (in Turkish). Retrieved 2007-06-18.
5. "1923–1924". Walter Verani, Erdinç Sivritepe and Turkish Soccer. 1999-09-12. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
6. Profile at TFF.org