You’ve probably seen him rubbing shoulders with political heavyweights like Sir Keir Starmer and even the King.
But before Mete Coban became a rising political figure and London’s Deputy Mayor, he was spinning a wildly exaggerated story about being a European football prodigy.
Now, the truth is catching up with him—and it’s raising serious questions about credibility, accountability, and public trust.
From “Inter Milan” to City Hall?
Mete Coban, now 32 and earning a hefty £148,000 salary in his Deputy Mayor role under Sadiq Khan, once claimed he was destined for football greatness.
According to him, he had a dazzling career path: discovered by scouts, played for Turkish giants Galatasaray, then moved to Inter Milan, and was on the brink of signing for none other than Real Madrid.
He painted the picture of a talented left-back who gave up a dream sporting career to focus on charity and public service. The story, backed up by social media posts and a blurry highlight reel, helped build his early public persona.
The Truth Behind the Tall Tale
But here’s the twist: none of it was true.
In reality, Coban’s closest brush with elite football was a short-lived and unsuccessful trial with Atlético Madrid at age 14.
Despite what he told Turkish media at the time—including that he’d been personally invited to Real Madrid by then-manager José Mourinho—he was never scouted by Galatasaray or played a minute for Inter Milan.
In fact, Inter Milan later confirmed he had “never set foot in our facilities.”
Even worse, the highlight video he claimed was of him playing? It was just poor-quality clips of other players stitched together.
Not the First Football Faker
The story bears a striking resemblance to the infamous case of Ali Dia, who conned his way into a Premier League match for Southampton in 1996 by pretending to be George Weah’s cousin.
Dia played just 53 minutes before being subbed off and later became known as one of football’s greatest conmen—a comparison Coban is now struggling to shake.
Green Credentials Also Under Fire
Coban’s controversial football claims aren’t the only part of his record under scrutiny.
When he was appointed Deputy Mayor in July last year, critics were quick to point out that while he was Hackney’s environment and transport chief, he racked up 17 tonnes of CO₂ emissions from frequent flights.
Destinations included Guatemala, Dubai, Washington DC, and Malta—all within just two years.
Coban defended the trips as necessary for his youth charity work, which earned him an MBE in 2021.
City Hall Response: “A Naive Mistake”
City Hall is standing by him.
A spokesperson for Mayor Sadiq Khan said Coban has “an excellent track record” and that the football fabrication was “a naive mistake” made when Coban was still a teenager.
They emphasized that he’s grown from the experience and now contributes significantly to London’s climate efforts.
Coban himself echoed that sentiment last year when taking on the Deputy Mayor role, stating, “I’m hugely excited to bring my experience to this city-wide effort” on tackling climate change.
A Public Figure, a Personal Story
So where does this leave Londoners?
While Coban’s football story may have been more fiction than fact, his real-world impact—as both a former councillor and now deputy mayor—remains a topic of public interest.
Whether voters see him as a youthful dreamer who matured or someone who misled for personal gain will likely shape his political future.