Kubilay Türkyilmaz


Kubilay "Kubi" Türkyilmaz is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a forward. He completed his international career as the all-time joint leading goal scorer for the Swiss national team, with 34 goals in 64 appearances between 1988 and 2001, equalling the performance of 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 AC Bellinzona in 1986 and later joined Servette FC in 1989. He left the country in 1990 for the Italian club Bologna FC before joining Galatasaray SK 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 Grasshopper Zürich, 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 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.

International goals

Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.21 September 1988Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg2–04–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.21 September 1988Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg4–04–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.21 June 1989St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland1–01–0Friendly
4.20 September 1989Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland1–01–21990 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.11 October 1989St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland2–12–21990 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.15 November 1989Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland2–12–11990 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.8 May 1990Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland1–11–1Friendly
8.21 August 1990Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria1–13–1Friendly
9.21 August 1990Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria2–13–1Friendly
10.12 March 1991Sportplatz Rheinau, Balzers, Liechtenstein4–06–0Friendly
11.1 May 1991Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria3–23–2UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
12.5 June 1991Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland7–07–0UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
13.21 August 1991Strahov Stadium, Prague, Czechoslovakia1–11–1Friendly
14.9 October 1991Stadion Allmend, Lucerne, Switzerland3–03–1Friendly
15.17 April 1993Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta2–02–01994 FIFA World Cup qualification
16.12 October 1994Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland4–24–2UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
17.16 August 1995Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland2–02–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
18.11 October 1995Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–03–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
19.24 April 1996Cornaredo Stadium, Lugano, Switzerland2–02–0Friendly
20.8 June 1996Wembley Stadium, London, England1–11–1UEFA Euro 1996
21.30 April 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–01–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
22.11 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland1–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.11 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland2–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
24.11 October 1997Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland5–05–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
25.4 September 1999Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark1–11–3UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
26.8 September 1999Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland1–02–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
27.8 September 1999Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland2–02–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
28.7 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland3–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
29.7 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland4–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
30.7 October 2000Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland5–15–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
31.11 October 2000Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia1–02–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
32.11 October 2000Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia2–12–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
33.5 September 2001Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg2–03–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
34.5 September 2001Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg3–03–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Personal life

Born to a family emigrated to Switzerland from Yozgat Province, Türkyilmaz is of Turkish descent, and 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.

Honours

Galatasaray
Grasshoppers
Individual