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Dream Team

Erdal Keser


As a skilled lathe operator and former player at Turkish first division outfit Ankara Demirspor, father Erol decided to move the family to Hagen in 1971, not simply because of work but also because he wanted to give his children a better education in Germany.

Son Erdal played against the will of his father until the latter recognised his talent. In 1980 he signed professional forms with Borussia Dortmund and earned the shooting star tag in 1982, at the latest, after running rings round Germany international Manfred Kaltz and nutmegging Franz Beckenbauer.

The first, and for a long time only son of Turkish immigrants in the German Bundesliga was not afraid to speak his mind on political topics: “Unemployed Turks aren’t living at anyone’s expense in Germany. They’ve paid their social security contributions all their life and are just getting back what’s due to them.” And: “First they wanted us, now they want to get rid of us like animals.” He couldn’t understand why the neo-Nazi fan club Borussenfront chanted “Turks out” even though he played for their team. He was motivated more than demoralised by the racist insults of rival fans.

Following his time as a Turkish international and captain of Galatasaray the Turkish Football Federation employed him as a scout for Turkish-born talent outside of Turkey.

Whereas today Germany and Turkey compete for the best young talent, for many years the German FA were not interested in the choice of passport by migrant children. And so Keser was able to help take Turkey from being laughed-at minnows to a side that claimed third place at the 2002 World Cup.