Zafer Biryol

Zafer Biryol — Biography

Zafer Biryol is a forward best remembered for his time at Konyaspor: he was the Süper Lig's top scorer in 2003-04, and with 43 top-flight goals for the club he is regarded as its leading scorer at that level and the only Konyaspor player to win the golden boot. He also played for the Turkey national team, and after retiring he turned to coaching and football schools.

A native of Rize, Biryol came through the Beşiktaş youth system and turned professional there. He then played for Mersin İdmanyurdu, Edirnespor, Yeni Salihlispor and Şekerspor, where his 20 goals in 2000-01 drew attention and led to a move up to the Süper Lig with Göztepe. His peak came at Konyaspor, where he scored 25 goals in 33 matches in 2003-04 to take the scoring title. That season earned him a transfer to Fenerbahçe in 2005-06, but he was used mostly as a backup, and in 2006 he moved to Bursaspor and then to Çaykur Rizespor. After a spell at Altay in 2009-10 he finished his career in Konya. He made his Turkey debut on 18 February 2004 against Denmark.

After leaving the pitch he settled in Canada and set up a football school in Toronto; in 2019 he opened a school bearing his own name in Büyükçekmece, Istanbul. He took charge of Bandırmaspor in November 2015 and resigned in February 2016. In 2020 he was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for membership of an armed terror organisation, and the sentence was upheld in 2022.