.jpg) Topal with Turkey in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Petrolul Ploiești (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Mehmet Topal (born 3 March 1986) is a Turkish professional football manager and former player, who is currently in charge of Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești. A defensive midfielder, he was nicknamed Örümcek (Turkish: Spider) for his ability to use his long legs to win loose balls or cut passes.[1][2]
Topal started his senior career at Dardanelspor, and went on to represent Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, İstanbul Başakşehir, and Beşiktaş, respectively, totalling seven major trophies in Turkey. He also had a two-year spell with Spanish team Valencia.
An international for Turkey between 2008 and 2018, Topal amassed over 80 appearances for his country and was selected for two European Championships.
- ^ Summerscales, Robert (20 April 2016). "Mehmet Topal to Tottenham on free transfer agreed in principle". Caught Offside. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ Sarigul, Emre (7 June 2016). "Shot at twice and still thriving: Mehmet 'The Spider' Topal is Turkey's rock". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 7 November 2017.