Fenerbahçe S.K. (football)
Fenerbahçe S.K., commonly known as Fenerbahçe, is a Turkish professional football club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The club's name comes from Fenerbahçe neighbourhood of Istanbul. The professional football department are the most notable one of Fenerbahçe SK, a major multi-sport club who compete in football, basketball, volleyball, athletics, swimming, sailing, rowing, boxing, and table tennis, among others, with many major honours won in each department. Fenerbahçe are one of the most successful and best supported football teams in Turkey, having never been relegated to lower divisions, and currently compete in the Turkish Super League and the Turkish Cup. They are nicknamed Sarı Kanaryalar and the team play their home games at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, their own traditional home ground in Kadıköy, Istanbul.
Fenerbahçe have won 19 Turkish Super League titles, 6 Turkish Cups and 9 Turkish Super Cups, among others. With 28 Turkish championships in total Fenerbahçe hold the record for most national championship titles won. The club are also leading the all-time table of the Turkish Super League. In international club football, Fenerbahçe have won the Balkans Cup in 1968, which is marked as the first ever non-domestic trophy won by a Turkish football club. In UEFA competitions, Fenerbahçe have reached the quarter-finals in the 1963–64 season of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and in the 2007–08 season of the UEFA Champions League. The club's semi-final performance in the 2012–13 season of the UEFA Europa League is marked as their greatest achievement in European competitions. Fenerbahçe are a member of the European Club Association.
Fener are one of the best supported Turkish teams and have millions of fans inside Turkey as well as millions of others in the Turkish communities all over the world.
The club have a long-standing rivalry with other major Istanbul clubs, namely with Beşiktaş and Galatasaray. The Intercontinental Derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray is considered to be one of the fiercest and most intense derbies in the world. Its name derives from the fact that the clubs are located on the Asian and European sides of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul.
History
Early years 1907–1959
Fenerbahçe were founded in 1907 in Kadıköy, Istanbul, by local men Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey, and Necip Okaner. This group founded the club secretly in order to keep a low profile and not get into any trouble with the strict Ottoman rule, so strict that the Sultan Abdul Hamid II forbade the Turkish youth to set up a club or engage in the game of football played by the English families that was watched in envy. The three men came together and concluded that Kadıköy was in desperate need of its own football club, where locals would get a chance to practise the game of football. Ziya Songülen was elected the first president of the club, Ayetullah Bey became the first general secretary and Necip Okaner was given the post of general captain. The lighthouse situated on the Fenerbahçe cape was a big influence on the design of the club's first crest, which sported the yellow and white colors of daffodils around the lighthouse. The kits were also designed with yellow and white stripes. The crest of the club was changed in 1910 when Hikmet Topuzer redesigned the badge after Ziya Songülen had changed the colors to yellow and navy, still seen today. Fenerbahçe's activities were kept in secrecy until a legislation reform in 1908, when, under a new law, all football clubs had to register to exist legally.The founding line-up included Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey, Necip Okaner, Galip Kulaksızoğlu, Hassan Sami Kocamemi, Asaf Beşpınar, Enver Yetiker, Şevkati Hulusi Bey, Fuat Hüsnü Kayacan, Hamit Hüsnü Kayacan, and Nasuhi Baydar.
Struggling with financial difficulties, Fenerbahçe joined the Istanbul Football League in 1909, finishing fifth in their first year. Fenerbahçe won the 1911–12 season of the Istanbul Football League marking this championship as the first success in their long history. Mustafa Elkatipzade introduced other sports to the club realizing that football should not be the only sport being practised; it is due to his efforts that Fenerbahçe Sports Club was born.
Fenerbahçe played against the staff of the Royal Navy that occupied Istanbul during the Turkish War of Independence. Some British soldiers formed football teams that were named after the players' speciality, for example Essex Engineers, Irish Guards, Grenadiers, and Artillery. These teams played against each other and against local football teams in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe won many of these matches. The most known match played against the British was the match that would determine the winner of the General Harrington Cup.
Fenerbahçe won the Istanbul Football League 16 times, the Turkish National Division 6 times, and the former Turkish Football Championship 3 times, all of them records, profiling themselves as forerunners and dominating side in Turkish football before the introduction of the professional nationwide league in 1959.
Winning the first professional nationwide league
The Turkish Football Federation founded a professional national league in 1959, which continues today under the name of the Süper Lig. Fenerbahçe won the first tournament, beating archrivals Galatasaray 4–1 on aggregate. The next year, Fenerbahçe participated in the European Cup for the first time. They qualified through a 4–3 win over Csepel SC, being the first Turkish club to advance to the next round by eliminating its opponent. They lost their first-round game to Nice 1–5 in a playoff game after drawing on aggregate. Fenerbahçe reached the quarter-final of the 1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup where it was eliminated by MTK Budapest. Fenerbahçe won four more league titles in the 1960s and were runners-up three times, making it the most successful club of that era. Fenerbahçe was coached by Ignác Molnár at the time, a famous Hungarian coach who had introduced a new style of football in Turkey. Under his guidance, Fenerbahçe managed to eliminate English champions Manchester City in the first round of the 1968–69 European Cup.Balkans Cup victory
In the 1966–67 Balkans Cup, Fenerbahçe won the cup after three final matches against Greek club AEK Athens, making them the first Turkish club to win a non-domestic competition. This success would remain unparalleled by a Turkish club until Sarıyer and Samsunspor won the cup many years later in the 1990s, when the competition lost much of its popularity.Later years
The 1970s saw Fenerbahçe bring in the famous Didi as their new coach. Fenerbahçe won four more league titles, including a double with Cemil Turan being the top goal scorer three times. The 1970s also established a rivalry with Trabzonspor, where for almost a decade Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor were competing each other for the title. The 1980s saw Fenerbahçe win three more league titles. Under the guidance of Kálmán Mészöly, Fenerbahçe managed to eliminate French champions Bordeaux in the first round of the 1985–86 European Cup. This victory marked a turning point as for almost a decade no Turkish club managed to get past the first round in European competitions.Galatasaray and Beşiktaş dominated the Turkish League during the 1990s, combining to win nine out of ten titles. Fenerbahçe's only Turkish League success during the 1990s came in the 1995–96 season under the guidance of Carlos Alberto Parreira. In the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League season, Fenerbahçe completed the group stage with seven points and, among others, beat Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford, undoing the record of the English giants being unbeaten for 40 years in their homeground.
Fenerbahçe won the league title in 2001, denying Galatasaray a fifth consecutive title. It followed up the next season with a second-place behind Galatasaray with new coach Werner Lorant. The next season, however, did not go so well: Fenerbahçe finished in sixth place. Despite this, that season is memorable to many Fenerbahçe fans due to a 6–0 win against arch-rivals Galatasaray at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on 6 November 2002. After firing Werner Lorant, the club hired another German coach in, Christoph Daum. Daum had previously coached in Turkey, winning the league with Beşiktaş in 1994–95. Fenerbahçe brought in players including Pierre van Hooijdonk, Mehmet Aurélio and Fabio Luciano as a rebuilding process. These new players lead Fenerbahçe to its 15th title and third star.
The next year was followed by a narrow championship over Trabzonspor, winning a then record 16 Turkish Football League championships. Fenerbahçe lost the title in the last week of the 2005–06 season to Galatasaray. Fenerbahçe needed a win, but instead drew 1–1 with Denizlispor while Galatasaray won 3–0 over Kayserispor. Soon after, Christoph Daum resigned as manager and was replaced by Zico on 4 July 2006. Zico began his reign by signing two new defenders: highly touted Uruguayan international Diego Lugano and Zico's fellow Brazilian Edu Dracena. Zico also signed two strikers in Serbian international Mateja Kežman and another Brazilian, Deivid. Fenerbahçe's 2006–07 domestic season started with a 6–0 win over relegation candidates Kayseri Erciyesspor. In the 32nd week of the Süper Lig, Fenerbahçe drew Trabzonspor 2–2, while Beşiktaş lost to Bursaspor 0–3, putting the former out of contention for the title. Fenerbahçe won its 17th Süper Lig title in 2006–07.
2007–present
On 11 January 2007, Fenerbahçe were officially invited to G-14. G-14 was an association which consists of top European clubs.Under Zico's command, Fenerbahçe qualified from the 2007–08 Champions League group stage for the first time in the club's history and went on to beat Sevilla to become a quarter-finalist in the 2007–08 season. Zico is also the most successful manager of the team's history in the Champions League. After successful scores both in the Turkish league and international matches, Zico gained a new nickname from the Fenerbahçe fans: Kral Arthur. In February 2009, Fenerbahçe became the first Turkish club to enter the Deloitte Football Money League. Since 2000, Fenerbahçe improved the club's finances and facilities, bringing world stars to the club such as Ariel Ortega, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Alex, Stephen Appiah, Nicolas Anelka and, more recently, Mateja Kežman, Roberto Carlos, Daniel Güiza, Dirk Kuyt, Diego Ribas, Nani, and Robin van Persie.
In the 2009–10 season Fenerbahçe lost the title on the last matchday; Fenerbahçe players were told that a draw would be enough towards the end of the match only to find out that the other critical game went against their favour, as Bursaspor beat Beşiktaş 2–1 to win the title. Despite the title loss, Fenerbahçe ended the season with the most clean sheets, as well as the joint longest winning streak. In July 2011, Fenerbahçe fans invaded the pitch during a friendly against the Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. As punishment, Fenerbahçe were sentenced to two Süper Lig games in an empty stadium. The TFF later allowed those two games to be filled with spectators; men were barred, while women and children under 12 were admitted for free. On 29 October 2012, Antalyaspor ended Fenerbahçe's 47-match unbeaten run in the Süper Lig at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. Fenerbahçe had not lost a match at home since they were beaten 2–3 by eventual champions Bursaspor in week 22, on 22 February 2010. Fenerbahçe won 38 and drew 9 in the 47 matches they played within 980 days since 22 February 2010. On 3 November 2012, Fenerbahçe pecked Akhisar Belediyespor to break a 181-day away jinx. On 2 May 2013, Fenerbahçe were eliminated by Benfica 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-final of the 2012–13 Europa League, one of the biggest successes in Fenerbahçe's history in UEFA competitions.
On 28 June 2013, Ersun Yanal agreed to take charge of Fenerbahçe to replace Aykut Kocaman, who resigned in late May. Ersun Yanal's appointment coincided with tough times for Fenerbahçe, who had just been banned from European competitions for two seasons over their alleged involvement in a domestic sports corruption scandal. Fenerbahçe, which finished second in the Süper Lig in 2012–13, thus missed-out on the 2013–14 Champions League, which it had been due to enter in the third qualifying round. Fenerbahçe finished the 2014–15 season as runners-up, forcing the board of directors to undertake some major changes. For the 2015–16 season, Fenerbahçe brought in Vítor Pereira as their new coach. Portuguese star Nani, Danish defender Simon Kjær and Robin van Persie were added to the squad to fulfill the club's ambitions to be successful in the Süper Lig and European competitions. On 10 December 2015, Fenerbahçe played their 200th European game against Celtic.
Former notable players
When it was first founded in 1907, Fenerbahçe had a large squad. One of these players, Galip Kulaksızoğlu, was the longest serving player of the original squad, spending 17 years at the club, retiring in 1924 after 216 matches. Zeki Rıza Sporel and Bekir Refet, the first Tukish footballer ever to play abroad, were among the first products of the Fenerbahçe youth system. During his 18-year career with the club, Zeki Rıza scored 470 goals in 352 matches, or 1.3 goals every match, making him the all-time top scorer of Fenerbahçe. Zeki Rıza was also capped for the Turkish national team 16 times, scoring 15 goals. Cihat Arman became the first in a long-line of long-serving goalkeepers, playing 12 seasons and in 308 matches with the club.Lefter Küçükandonyadis was one of the first Turkish football players to play in Europe. Lefter spent two seasons in Europe, playing for Fiorentina and Nice before returning to Fenerbahçe. All in all, Lefter scored 423 goals in 615 matches for the club, helping them to two Istanbul Football League titles and three Turkish League titles.
Another notable player, Can Bartu, became the next big Turkish export to Europe. He was also the first Turkish football player to play in a European competition final, doing so with Fiorentina against Atlético Madrid in 1962. Can also spent some seasons playing for Venezia and Lazio before returning to Fenerbahçe in 1967. He was a four-time league champion with Fenerbahçe and scored 162 goals in 330 matches. Some of the other most notable Turkish players who played for Fenerbahçe include: Fikret Arıcan, Fikret Kırcan, Halit Deringör, Melih Kotanca, Burhan Sargun, Nedim Doğan, Cemil Turan, Selçuk Yula, Müjdat Yetkiner, Oğuz Çetin, Rıdvan Dilmen, Aykut Kocaman, Rüştü Reçber, and Tuncay.
Former Romania goalkeeper Ilie Datcu was the first foreigner to reach 100 caps for Fenerbahçe. In recent decades, Fenerbahçe have gained an influx of foreigners who have helped the club to 19 Süper Lig titles. Among these include Uche Okechukwu, who after 13 seasons with Fenerbahçe and İstanbulspor became the longest serving foreigner in Turkey. During Uche's career with Fenerbahçe, he won two league titles and became a fan favourite. More recently, Fenerbahçe have been the home to Brazilian-born Mehmet Aurélio who, in 2006, became the first naturalized Turkish citizen to play for the Turkish national team.
Alex is another Brazilian player who scored the most goals of all foreign players who have played for Fenerbahçe. He managed to become top scorer of the Turkish Süper Lig on two occasions, Turkish Footballer of the Year twice, as well as assist leader in the 2007–08 season of the UEFA Champions League. Based on all those achievements, as well as his exemplary character and sportsmanship on and off the field, acknowledged by fans of Fenerbahçe and their rivals alike, he became the most successful and renowned foreign player to have ever played for the club and one of a few whose statue has been erected by the supporters of the club in the Yoğurtçu Park, in the near of Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. Some of the other foreign top players who played for Fenerbahçe over the years include: Toni Schumacher, Jes Høgh, Jay-Jay Okocha, Elvir Bolić, Kennet Andersson, Ariel Ortega, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Nicolas Anelka, Stephen Appiah, Mateja Kežman, Diego Lugano, Roberto Carlos, Dirk Kuyt, and Nani.
Support
Fenerbahçe have developed a strong following since their foundation in 1907. They are one of the most popular clubs in Turkey, with about 35% of the fans supporting them, and the most popular in Istanbul and Ankara. They have a large fanbase throughout the country, in Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijan, and in the Turkish diaspora. Since the rebuilding of the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Fenerbahçe's average attendances have been among the highest in Turkey.Fenerbahçe have several supporter organisations, including Genç Fenerbahçeliler, Kill For You, Antu/Fenerlist, EuroFeb, Group CK, 1907 ÜNİFEB, Vamos Bien, and SUADFEB. Many fanzines, blogs, podcasts, forums and fan websites have been dedicated to the club.
Relationships with other clubs
More recently, in November 2011 Fenerbahçe's Genç Fenerbahçeliler created a friendly relationship with Torcida Sandžak, the organized supporters of Serbian club Novi Pazar. During a Süper Lig match against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium, the Genç Fenerbahçeliler and 1907 Gençlik stand deployed a giant banner reading "Kalbimiz Seninle Novi Pazar" and after then, in the game against Radnicki Kragujevac in the Serbian SuperLiga, Torcida Sandžak members deployed a giant banner reading "Sancak'ta atıyor, Fenerbahçe'nin kalbi".On 2 March 2012, Fenerbahçe's Genç Fenerbahçeliler and 1907 Gençlik members were invited to Novi Pazar for the match against Partizan in the Serbian SuperLiga. Thousands of Torcida Sandžak members welcomed Genç Fenerbahçeliler and 1907 Gençlik's 17 members.
Rivalries
"The big three" clubs of Istanbul, Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, have a century-long history of rivalry. The Fenerbahçe–Galatasaray rivalry is the primary Istanbul derby and the most important rivalry in Turkish football; matches between the two teams are known as The Intercontinental Derby. The rivalry started on 23 February 1934, when a friendly game between both clubs turned into a riot, forcing the match to be abandoned. The rivalry has led to violence among supporters on numerous occasions. Torches, smoke, flags, and giant posters are used to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams, which fans call "welcoming them to hell".Stadium
Fenerbahçe play their home matches at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, their own traditional home ground in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, since 1908. Most recently renovated between 1999 and 2006, its capacity is 50,509. The club's museum has been situated in the stadium since 2005, after having been housed at a variety of locations. Before Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium was built, the field was known as Papazın Çayırı. The field, however, became the very first football pitch of Turkey, where the first league games of the Istanbul Football League were all held successively. In 1908, local teams of the league needed a regular football field, so this land was leased from the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II for 30 Ottoman gold pounds a year. The total construction cost was 3,000 Ottoman gold pounds. The name was changed to the Union Club Field after the club which made the highest donation for the construction.The Union Club Field was used by many teams in İstanbul, including the owner, Union Club, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş. However, it had lost its importance when a bigger venue, the Taksim Stadium, was built in 1922, inside the courtyard of the historic Taksim Topçu Kışlası, which was located at the present-day Taksim Gezi Parkı. İttihatspor, was forced to sell it to the state, in which Şükrü Saracoğlu was a member of the CHP government. Thus, the ownership of the stadium passed to the state, but the field was immediately leased to Fenerbahçe.
Later, on 27 May 1933, Fenerbahçe purchased the stadium from the government when Şükrü Saracoğlu was the president of Fenerbahçe, for either the symbolic amount of 1 TL or the worth of the stadium which was 9,000 TL. The name of the field was changed to Fenerbahçe Stadium, and this made Fenerbahçe the first football club in Turkey to own their stadium, with the help of the government. In the following years, Fenerbahçe renovated the stadium and increased its seating capacity. By 1949, Fenerbahçe Stadium was the largest football venue in Turkey, with a seating capacity of 25,000. The name of the stadium was changed once more in 1998, becoming Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, named after Fenerbahçe's president and Turkey's fifth Prime Minister, Şükrü Saracoğlu. In 1999, the latest round of renovations and capacity increasing projects started. The tribunes on the four sides of the stadium were torn down one at a time, as the Turkish Super League seasons progressed, and the entire renewal and construction project was finalised in 2006, with the efforts of Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım and the team's board of directors.
Club crest and colours
Since the club's foundation, Fenerbahçe have used the same badge, which has only undergone minor alterations. It was designed by Hikmet Topuzer, nicknamed Topuz Hikmet, who played as a right winger, in 1910, and had made as lapel pins by Tevfik Haccar Taşçı in London. The crest consists of five colours. The white section which includes the writing Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü ★ 1907 ★ represents purity and open-heartedness, the red section represents love and attachment to the club and symbolises the Turkish flag. The yellow section symbolises other ones' envy and jealousy about Fenerbahçe, while the navy symbolises nobility. The oak leaf which rises from the navy and yellow section shows the force and the power of being a member of Fenerbahçe. The green colour of the leaf shows that the success of Fenerbahçe is imperative. Hikmet Topuzer describes the story of the emblem as below:Honours
Domestic competitions
National Championships – 28- Turkish Super League
- Turkish National Division
- Turkish Football Championship
- Turkish Cup
- Turkish Super Cup
- Atatürk Cup
- Prime Minister's Cup
European competitions
- Balkans Cup
Regional competitions
- Istanbul Football League
- Istanbul Cup
- Istanbul Shield
Others
- General Harrington Cup
- Fleet Cup
- TSYD Cup
- TSYD Challenge Cup
- Spor Toto Cup
European record
Best achievements
Statistics
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| UEFA Champions League | 105 | 32 | 20 | 53 | 119 | 177 | –58 |
| UEFA Europa League | 116 | 49 | 27 | 40 | 154 | 150 | +4 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 230 | 84 | 48 | 98 | 284 | 338 | –54 |
UEFA club coefficient ranking
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 46 |  Celtic FC | 33,000 |
| 47 |  Lokomotiv Moscow | 33,000 |
| 48 |  Fenerbahçe | 31,500 |
| 49 |  Olympique de Marseille | 31,000 |
| 50 |  AC Sparta Prague | 30,500 |
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Fenerbahçe A2
Academy teams
Retired number(s)
- 12
Team captains
Player records
Most goals
Note: Zeki Rıza Sporel scored his record eight goals against Anadolu in 1931, Melih Kotanca repeated this record against Topkapı in 1940. Tanju Çolak scored six goals against Karşıyaka in the 1992–93 season.Most appearances
Past seasons
Records
Most
Fewest
Trivia
- Fenerbahçe went through the 1922–23 season of the Istanbul Football League undefeated without conceding a single goal.
- First Turkish club to win a non-domestic trophy
- All-time best in Turkish League cumulative standings with the highest number of wins and the fewest losses as well as the most scoring football team in history.
- Best winning percentage in a season:
- Best group stage finish for a Turkish club in the Europa League:
Club officials
Board members
Source:Technical staff
Source:Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
| Period | Kit manufacturers | Shirt sponsors |
| 1977–1978 | Admiral | Pereja/ Sekerbank |
| 1978–1980 | none | |
| 1980–1982 | Banker Kastelli | |
| 1982–1983 | Hisar Bank | |
| 1983–1984 | İstanbul Bankası | |
| 1984–1985 | Adidas | Türk Bank |
| 1985–1987 | Güner | Türk Bank |
| 1987–1988 | Güner | Tamek |
| 1988–1989 | Adidas | Emlak Bankası |
| 1989–1996 | Adidas | Emlak Bankası |
| 1996–1997 | Adidas | VakıfBank |
| 1997–1998 | Adidas | Emlak Bankası |
| 1998–1999 | Adidas | Rifle/Proton 5x5 |
| 1999–2000 | Adidas | Proton 5x5 |
| 2000–2002 | :tr:Fenerium|Fenerium | Telsim |
| 2002–2004 | :tr:Fenerium|Fenerium | Aria |
| 2004–2012 | Adidas | Avea |
| 2012–2014 | Adidas | Türk Telekom |
| 2014–2015 | Adidas | none |
| 2015–2016 | Adidas | Yandex/Turkish Airlines1 |
| 2016–2017 | Adidas | Nesine.com/Borajet Airlines1 |
| 2018 | Adidas | Acıbadem |
| 2018- | Adidas | Avis |
| - | Adidas | - |
1 European Shirt sponsor