Mehmet Topal facts for kids
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Topal with Turkey in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mehmet Topal | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 March 1986 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Malatya, Turkey | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Malatyaspor | |||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Dardanelspor | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Dardanelspor | 39 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Galatasaray | 82 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Valencia | 43 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 206 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 50 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Beşiktaş | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 427 | (25) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Turkey U19 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Turkey U20 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Turkey U21 | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2018 | Turkey | 81 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Petrolul Ploiești | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Mehmet Topal (born on March 3, 1986) is a famous Turkish football player and manager. He played as a defensive midfielder. People called him Örümcek, which means "Spider" in Turkish. This was because he used his long legs to win the ball and stop passes.
Mehmet Topal started his career at Dardanelspor. He then played for big clubs like Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, İstanbul Başakşehir, and Beşiktaş. He won seven major trophies in Turkey. He also played for two years in Spain with Valencia.
Topal played for the Turkish national team from 2008 to 2018. He played over 80 games for his country. He also played in two European Championships. After retiring as a player, Topal began his career as a football manager.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out
Mehmet Topal was born in Malatya, Turkey. He began playing football at age 13 for his local club, Malatya B.S.. He made his first professional appearance for Dardanel Spor A.Ş. in Turkey's third division.
In September 2006, Topal joined Süper Lig giant Galatasaray SK.
Playing for Galatasaray
In his first season (2006–07) in Istanbul, Topal played in only 11 games. But then, a teammate named Tobias Linderoth got injured. This gave Topal a chance to play more often. He later said that Linderoth helped him a lot with his game.
In April 2008, Topal signed a new five-year contract with Galatasaray. He played 26 matches that season, helping his team win the national championship. During this time, he also joined the Turkish national team. There were rumors that he might move to Everton in England, but he stayed with Galatasaray.
Topal played around 22 games in the next few seasons. He also had to deal with an injury early in the 2009–10 season.
Moving to Valencia
On May 12, 2010, Topal joined Valencia CF in Spain. The transfer fee was about €5.5 million. On September 14, he played his first UEFA Champions League game for Valencia. They won 4–0 against Turkish club Bursaspor.
Topal scored his first goal for Valencia on September 25, 2010, against Sporting de Gijón. In the UEFA Europa League, he scored a fantastic goal from 30 yards against Stoke City in February 2012. This goal helped Valencia win and move forward in the competition. He played six matches in the Europa League, helping his team reach the semi-finals.
Time at Fenerbahçe
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Topal moved to Fenerbahçe SK on July 1, 2012. He signed a four-year contract. In his second season (2013–14), he played 27 games and scored three goals. His team won the national championship that year.
On August 11, 2015, Mehmet Topal had a scary incident. While driving home after training, his car was attacked by unknown people. Thankfully, he and his young teammate were safe.
He played in 11 games during the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. In one match against S.C. Braga, he scored the only goal in the first game. In the second game, he was sent off (given a red card) for two fouls. Fenerbahçe lost that match. On June 26, 2019, Topal left Fenerbahçe.
Playing for Istanbul Başakşehir
On August 26, 2019, Topal joined İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. on a two-year contract. At the end of the 2019–20 season, his team won the domestic league. This made him the first player to win the Süper Lig with three different teams!
International Career
Topal played his first game for Turkey on February 6, 2008. It was a friendly match against Sweden. Soon after, he was chosen to play in UEFA Euro 2008. He played almost every game, and Turkey reached the semi-finals.
On May 22, 2016, Topal was the captain for Turkey for the first time. This was in a friendly game against England. A week later, he scored his first goal for his country. It was a last-minute goal against Montenegro. He was also picked for UEFA Euro 2016. He played in all the matches, sometimes as a central defender.
Managerial Career
Mehmet Topal started his career as a manager on June 6, 2024. He joined Romanian club Petrolul Ploiești on a three-year deal. He resigned on December 22, 2024. His team was in sixth place in the league, which was one of their best results in a long time. The club said he resigned for personal reasons, but Topal said this was not true. His contract was officially ended on December 31.
Honours
Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2007–08
- Turkish Super Cup: 2008
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2013–14
- Turkish Cup: 2012–13
- Turkish Super Cup: 2014
İstanbul Başakşehir
- Süper Lig: 2019–20
Beşiktaş
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021
Turkey
- UEFA European Championship third place: 2008
Individual
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2014–15
Images for kids
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Topal (left) alongside Ahmet Yılmaz Çalık
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See also
In Spanish: Mehmet Topal para niños
