Former Turkey captain Lefter Kucukandonyadis dies

Former Turkey captain Lefter Kucukandonyadis dies

Published Jan. 14, 2012 8:02 a.m. ET

Fenerbahce says former club great and Turkey national team captain Lefter Kucukandonyadis has died. He was 86.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said Kucukandonyadis died of pneumonia at Istanbul's American Hospital on Friday.

Born in 1925 in Istanbul to a fisherman father from Turkey's minority Greek community, Kucukandonyadis is considered one of Turkey's top players of all time. He scored 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahce and made 46 appearances for Turkey.

Kucukandonyadis was the first footballer from Turkey to play abroad, transferring to Italy's Fiorentina in 1951 followed by a spell with Nice.

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After his retirement in 1966, Kucukandonyadis trained clubs in Greece, South Africa and Turkey.

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