ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Lefter Kucukandonyadis, one of the best players in Turkish soccer history, has died at 86.
His death was announced by Fenerbahce, one of his former teams. The state-run Anadolu Agency said Kucukandonyadis died of pneumonia Friday at Istanbul’s American Hospital.
Kucukandonyadis was the captain of Turkey’s national team, making 46 appearances for his country. He scored 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahce.
Born in 1925 in Istanbul to a fisherman father from Turkey’s minority Greek community, Kucukandonyadis was the first soccer player from Turkey to play abroad. He transferred to Italy’s Fiorentina in 1951 followed by a spell with Nice in France.
After his retirement in 1966, Kucukandonyadis coached clubs in Greece, South Africa and Turkey.
