Şükrü Birand

Şükrü Birant ( born January 1, 1944 in Ankara ) is a former Turkish football player. Through his many years of service for Fenerbahce he is very strongly associated with this club. From fan - club sides and he is regarded as one of the greatest players in the club's history. With teammates like Ziya Şengül, Yılmaz Şen, Ercan Aktuna and Levent Engineri he made nearly a decade, except for injury-related failures, the defense department Fenerbahçe.

Childhood, youth and education

Birant came as the son of a working class family in the Turkish capital Ankara on the world. During his primary school days, the family moved into the emerging industrial province of Sakarya. Birants father, who was a mechanic by profession, saw in this province better job opportunities. Here Birant finished elementary school and middle school, before the family moved back to Ankara. So Birant visited in Ankara Yıldırım Beyazit - Gymnasium and here made his Abitur.

Playing career

Clubs

Birant began with the club football during his school years in Ankara Toprakspor and played here until the summer of 1963. With Toprakspor Birant played three years in the Ankara Bölgesel Ligi, a league which at that time had the status of the second division in Turkish football, and reached in the season 1960/61, the championship of this league. He was recruited by the person in charge by the then first division PTT SK for its youth department through his work for Toprakspor. In PTT was the head coach Sabri Kiraz, a former player of Fenerbahce, involved in the training sessions of the professional team. In the summer of 1963, he was completely involved by coach Bedri Kaya in the professional squad and was in the Erstligapartie from October 5, 1963 against Kasımpaşa Istanbul his professional debut. In this encounter, he played from the beginning and over the full length. From then on he conquered a regular place and completed to the end of the season completed almost all league matches of his team. In addition, he was first U-21 national team this season.

This rapid progress in Birants career meant that he was one of the most sought-after young players in the summer transfer window in 1964. Birant opted for a move to Fenerbahce. In his first season for this club, he established himself at first -team regular. His team reached this season, the season of 1964/65, the Turkish championship. Birant completed this season, 24 of the possible 30 league games of his team. The following season Fenerbahçe failed to defend the title. This season Birant played partly due to injury and not consistently maintained 10 of the possible 30 league games. In the following season for this club he made it back to the regular player. His club missed again the Turkish championship, but won the Balkan Cup and the Spor -Toto Cup. In the season 1967/68 Sens team reached the finally again the Turkish championship. In addition, the team was Turkish Cup winner this season, reaching thus also for the first time in their history of Turkish double winners. Birant completed this season, 23 of the possible 30 league games of his team. The following season Fenerbahçe failed to defend the title. The next season saw the team again as a champion and also won the pre-season TSYD - Istanbul Cup. Birant plagued repeatedly injury. So Birant completed in the next season until February 1971 only six league games and fell the rest of the season. His team three seasons established himself though Şen over long distances again as a regular player, but remained his team remained this and the next two periods of play in the championship chance and had to watch as the arch-rival Galatasaray with three championships in a row dominated the then Turkish football. While Birant in the 1971/72 still was able to complete 20 league games, he remained in the season 1972/73 with only ten league operations. The only bright spots in these last three seasons 1972/73, the Prime Minister Cup and the Presidents Cup players could be won in the season. It was not until the season of 1973/74 was his team back to its former strength. Thus was brought into this season with the championship and the cup for the second time in club history, the Turkish Double. Moreover, it was won before the season even the TSYD - Istanbul Cup. Birant completed over the entire season only three competitive games. On top of that he withdrew from the meeting during ebruary 1974 a complicated broken foot and fell to the rest of the season.

Since Birant plagued by injuries his team is not standing over his entire career several times available and possibly sustain a complicated broken foot at age 30, he decided to end his career in the summer of 1974. With a farewell game in which Fenerbahce met on a selected team Birant ended his playing career in the summer of 1974.

National

Birant National team career began in his time at Ankara Toprakspor. Here he was the person in charge of the Turkish U-18 National Team on the nominated him in the squad for an upcoming test match. So was Birantgegen the U-18 Romania his general international debut. After that game, he played two more times for the Turkish U- 18th

In May 1974, he was then nominated for the first time in the squad of the Turkish U-21 national team and played in the match against the German U- 21 team for the first time for the U -21 in his country. By the year 1969, he graduated from eight U-21 inserts. In most of these games, however Birant was over 21 years old.

In 1983 he was appointed by the reigning National Coach Cihat Arman in the squad of the Turkish national team and was in a friendly against the Polish national team his senior international debut. By the spring of 1969 Birant came to 14 additional international duty.

Trivia

• During his time at Fenerbahce Birant studied the Istanbul Academy of Economics and Economics and also made ​​its conclusion. He was one of the few players in the then football, which also had an academic education.

Achievements

• Master of Ankara Bölgesel Ligi: 1960/61,

• Turkish champions: 1967/68 1969 /70 1973/74
• Turkish Cup winner: 1967/68, 1973/74
• Presidents Cup players: 1972/73
• Prime Minister Cup Winners: 1972/73
• Spor -Toto Cup winner: 1967/68
• TSYD - Istanbul Cup winner: 1969 /70 1973/74
• Balkans Cup Winners: 1967/68