Fenerbahçe remembers Legendary Lefter Küçükandonyadis on the 12th Anniversary of his passing
Lefter Küçükandonyadis, also known as "Ordinaryüs," a legendary figure in Fenerbahçe and Turkish football, was remembered on the 12th anniversary of his passing.
Born in Istanbul on December 22, 1925, Lefter played for the yellow-navy team from 1947 to 1964.
In his illustrious career that left a mark on Turkish football, Lefter experienced championships with the yellow-navy team, scoring 423 goals in 615 matches played with the Fenerbahçe jersey. Lefter also wore the national team’s jersey 50 times.
Scoring a total of 832 goals in his career, Lefter became an unforgettable part of Turkish football history with the slogan “Ver Lefter’e, yaz deftere” (Give it to Lefter, write it in the notebook).
Played in Fiorentina and Nice
Lefter Küçükandonyadis also played for Fiorentina in Italy and Nice in France during his time abroad. Additionally, he served as a player-coach for one year in the Johannesburg team in South Africa.
After ending his active career in the 1965-1966 season, the legendary figure of Turkish football went on to become a coach for teams such as Samsunspor, Boluspor, Orduspor, Sivasspor, and Mersin İdmanyurdu.
One of the greatest and symbolic athletes in the history of Fenerbahçe Club, Lefter Küçükandonyadis passed away at the age of 86 in Istanbul on January 13, 2012.
Scored the first penalty goal in league history
Lefter Küçükandonyadis also made history as the first player to score a penalty goal in league history.
In a match where Fenerbahçe defeated Beykoz 2-1 on March 15, 1959, Lefter Küçükandonyadis marked the first penalty goal in league history.
2018-2019 season named in his honor
The legacy of Lefter Küçükandonyadis was honored in the 2018-2019 season.
The Turkish Football Federation played the 2018-2019 season under the name “Lefter Küçükandonyadis Season” in memory of the national football legend.
Lefter’s statue
On May 3, 2009, the statue of Fenerbahçe’s legendary footballer, Lefter Küçükandonyadis, was erected in Kuşdili Park, just across from Yoğurtçu Park in Kadıköy. This initiative was carried out by the fan group “Cefakar Kanaryalar” (Group CK).
