Kubilay Türkyilmaz


Kubilay Türkyilmaz is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a forward. He ended his international career as the all-time joint leading goal scorer for the Switzerland national team, with 34 goals in 64 appearances between 1988 and 2001, equalling the goals scored by Max Abegglen. Their record was bettered by Alexander Frei in 2008.

Club career

Born in Bellinzona, Ticino, Türkyilmaz began his club career with the local club Bellinzona in 1986 and later joined Servette in 1989. He left the country in 1990 for the Italian club Bologna before joining Galatasaray of Turkey, where he won the Süper Lig in his first season, 1993–94, and scored twice against Manchester United in the next season's UEFA Champions League. In 1995, he returned to Switzerland with Grasshoppers, winning the league in 1995–96 and 1997–98.

International career

Türkyilmaz made his international debut on 2 February 1988 against France in Toulouse as a 65th-minute substitute for Hans-Peter Zwicker. Switzerland lost the Tournoi de France match 2–1. His first goals were two against Luxembourg in qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, on 21 September 1988, his seventh match.
He missed the 1994 FIFA World Cup with serious injury, but appeared at Euro 1996, scoring Switzerland's equaliser against England in the opening match of the tournament, a 1–1 draw at Wembley.
His last 8 international matches, from 1997 to 2001, saw him score 14 times, including his first international hat-trick, versus Azerbaijan in [1998 FIFA World Cup 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|qualification (UEFA)|qualification] for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He added another hat trick, of three penalty kicks on 7 October 2000 in a 5–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Zürich against the Faroe Islands. It was the first hat-trick of its kind in the competition's history. In his final match, on 5 September 2001, he scored twice against Luxembourg away in qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Türkyilmaz was born in Switzerland to a family of Turkish descent that immigrated from the Yozgat Province; he has said that he would have played for Turkey had they inquired first. He once refused to play for Switzerland in a game against Turkey for fear of being branded a traitor. He now runs a café in his native Bellinzona.

Career statistics

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
121 September 1988Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg2–04–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
221 September 1988Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg4–04–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
321 June 1989St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland1–01–0Friendly
420 September 1989Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland1–01–21990 FIFA World Cup qualification
511 October 1989St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland2–12–21990 FIFA World Cup qualification
615 November 1989Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland2–12–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
78 May 1990Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland1–11–1Friendly
821 August 1990Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria1–13–1Friendly
921 August 1990Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria2–13–1Friendly
1012 March 1991Sportplatz Rheinau, Balzers, Liechtenstein4–06–0Friendly
111 May 1991Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria3–23–2UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
125 June 1991Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland7–07–0UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
1321 August 1991Strahov Stadium, Prague, Czechoslovakia1–11–1Friendly
149 October 1991Stadion Allmend, Lucerne, Switzerland3–03–1Friendly
1517 April 1993Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta2–02–01994 FIFA World Cup qualification
1612 October 1994Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland4–24–2Euro 1996 qualifying
1716 August 1995Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland2–02–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
1811 October 1995Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–03–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
1924 April 1996Cornaredo Stadium, Lugano, Switzerland2–02–0Friendly
208 June 1996Wembley Stadium, London, England1–11–1UEFA Euro 1996
2130 April 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–01–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
2211 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
2311 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland2–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
2411 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland5–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
254 September 1990Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark1–11–2UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
268 September 1999Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland1–02–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
278 September 1999Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland2–02–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
287 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland3–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
297 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland4–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
307 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland5–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3111 October 2000Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia1–02–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3211 October 2000Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia2–12–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
335 September 2001Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg2–03–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
345 September 2001Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg3–03–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Galatasaray
Grasshoppers
Individual