Ziya Şengül

Ziya Şengül — Biography

Ziya Şengül was born in Istanbul in 1944 and went on to become a legendary midfielder who spent almost his entire career at Fenerbahçe. He made more than 250 league appearances for the club, ranking among the most-capped players in its history, and took over the captain's armband in 1970 after Can Bartu's retirement, holding the role until 1975. For the Turkish national team he earned 21 caps between 1964 and 1975, captaining the side in 17 of them, and is particularly remembered for his part in the famous draw against Italy.

After hanging up his boots, Şengül managed Fenerbahçe as head coach on two separate occasions, and later worked as a television football commentator and newspaper columnist. He died on 26 February 2023 from organ failure, and following a farewell ceremony he was laid to rest at Aşiyan Asri Cemetery.