- Lefter Küçükandonyadis
Football player infobox
playername = Lefter Küçükandonyadis
fullname = Lefter Küçükandonyadis
nickname = Professor
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1925|12|25
cityofbirth =İstanbul
countryofbirth =Turkey
height =
weight =
position =Striker
currentclub =Retired
clubnumber = 10
youthyears = ?-1947
youthclubs =Taksimspor
years = 1947-1951
1951-1952
1952-1953
1953-1964
1964-1965
clubs = Fenerbahçe
Fiorentina Nice Fenerbahçe
AEK Athens
Total
caps(goals) = 00? 00(?)
00? 00(?)
012 0(2)
615 (423)
005 00(2)
620 (427)
nationalyears = 1948-1963
nationalteam = Turkey
nationalcaps(goals) = 050 0(22)
manageryears = 1964-1965
1965-1966
1966-1967
1967-1968
1968-1969
1969-1970
managerclubs =Egaleo F.C.
Supersport UnitedSamsunspor Orduspor Mersin Idmanyurdu Boluspor
pcupdate =
ntupdate =Lefter Küçükandonyadis (Greek: "Λευτέρης Αντωνιάδης", "Lefteris Antoniadis"), born 1925 in
Istanbul , is a legendary Turkish football player who is well recognised as one of the greatest footballers to play forTurkey . At the height of his career in the 1950s, he was regarded as one of the best players in the world.Early life and club career
Born as the son of a fisherman of Greek descent and a Turkish mother, he grew up with ten other brothers and sisters. He started his footballing career with Taksimspor, a club based in Istanbul. Küçükandonyadis transferred to
Fenerbahçe in 1947, achieving instant success. He was the first Turkish footballer to play abroad, playing during 1951-1953 forACF Fiorentina inItaly andOGC Nice inFrance . Returning to Fenerbahçe, he won two Istanbul League titles and later, after the start of the Turkish national league, three Turkish League (1959, 1961 and 1964) championship titles. In the season 1953-1954, he was the top scorer in the Turkish league. Küçükandonyadis scored in all a total of 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahçe. After ending his career in Turkey in 1964, Küçükandonyadis played a single season in Greece with AEK Athens. He participated in five games in the 1965 season scoring two goals before an injury in the match againstIraklis forced his retirement.National football team
He played 50 times for the Turkish national football team, 9 of them as the captain. He also played at the 1954 World Cup netting in 2 goals, one against West-Germany and one against South-Korea. He is the first Turkish player to be selected for the World XI. He scored 20 goals for his national team and was the top scorer for Turkey till overtaken by
Hakan Şükür . He was the first Turkish football player to receive the "Golden Honor medal" from theTurkish Football Federation .After active football
Lefter coached
Egaleo F.C. inGreece andSupersport United inSouth Africa . He later returned to Turkey and coached the clubsSivasspor ,Samsunspor ,Orduspor ,Mersin Idmanyurdu andBoluspor .Honours
Fenerbahçe
*Turkish Championship: 1959, 1961, 1964
*Atatürk Cup : 1964
*Istanbul Football League : 1948, 1957, 1959
*National HeTrivia
*A center forward, he was called the “professor” (Turkish: “ordinaryus”) for his assured finishing. In popular imagination, he is said to have never missed a penalty (while he has actually lost 3 during his career). A street on the island
Büyükada in Istanbul, the largest one of thePrinces' Islands , where he lives is named after him.*There is a very well known chant sung by Fenerbahçe supporters, 'Ver Leftere Yazsin Deftere', which means approximately, 'Give Lefter a look, he'll put it in the book'.
*Lefter was a part of the Turkey squad that had beaten the magical squad of
Hungary withFerenc Puskás in the late 50's. He netted in 2 goals alongside with teammateMetin Oktay to win 3-1. After the match the Hungarians admitted that they lost against a good footballing side, it was said if they had played like this at the World Cup a few years earlier they could have finished in the top 4 of the tournament. Facts|date=February 2007References
* [http://www.kimkimdir.gen.tr/kimkimdir.php?id=881 Who is who?] tr icon
* [http://www.fenerbahcecumhuriyeti.org/Efsane_Lefter_Kucukandonyadis.asp Fenerbahçe fans website] tr icon
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