Kubilay Türkyilmaz (; born 4 March 1967) 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 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 Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Türkyilmaz goal.

+ List of international goals scored by Kubilay TürkyilmazNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 21 September 1988 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg 2–0 4–1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification2 4–03 21 June 1989 St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland 1–0 1–0 Friendly4 20 September 1989 Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland 1–0 1–2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification5 11 October 1989 St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland 2–1 2–2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification6 15 November 1989 Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland 2–1 2–1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification7 8 May 1990 Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland 1–1 1–1 Friendly8 21 August 1990 Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria 1–1 3–1 Friendly9 2–110 12 March 1991 Sportplatz Rheinau, Balzers, Liechtenstein 4–0 6–0 Friendly11 1 May 1991 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria 3–2 3–2 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying12 5 June 1991 Espenmoos, St. Gallen, Switzerland 7–0 7–0 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying13 21 August 1991 Strahov Stadium, Prague, Czechoslovakia 1–1 1–1 Friendly14 9 October 1991 Stadion Allmend, Lucerne, Switzerland 3–0 3–1 Friendly15 17 April 1993 Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta 2–0 2–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification16 12 October 1994 Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switzerland 4–2 4–2 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying17 16 August 1995 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying18 11 October 1995 Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying19 24 April 1996 Cornaredo Stadium, Lugano, Switzerland 2–0 2–0 Friendly20 8 June 1996 Wembley Stadium, London, England 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 199621 30 April 1997 Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland 1–0 1–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification22 11 October 1997 Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland 1–0 5–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification23 2–024 5–025 4 September 1990 Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark 1–1 1–2 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying26 8 September 1999 Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying27 2–028 7 October 2000 Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland 3–1 5–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification29 4–130 5–131 11 October 2000 Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia 1–0 2–2 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification32 2–133 5 September 2001 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg 2–0 3–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification34 3–0

Honours Galatasaray Süper Lig: 1993–94

Grasshoppers Nationalliga A: 1995–96, 1997–98

Individual Swiss Footballer of the Year: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98

References

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