Fenerbahce Istanbul
Updated on May 6, 2024, 12:24 p.m
Fenerbahce’s players leave the pitch after the second minute of the game during the Supercup against Galatasaray on April 7, 2024. The game was canceled. © IMAGO/Seskim Photo
A quick abandonment of the game, a storming of the pitch in which fans and players beat each other, and a rebellion against the system. Fenerbahce Istanbul is currently the focus of Turkish football. But how did it happen?
The next scandal in Turkish football: The Super Cup between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray was scheduled to take place on April 7th. The game started normally, but a few minutes later the whole thing was over again. Because: Fenerbahce sent a U19 team, conceded 0-1 in the first minute and left the pitch shortly afterwards, accompanied by a loud concert of whistles.
The people in the stadium reacted differently: Some fans looked at the field in disbelief, unable to believe what had just happened. Whistles continued to echo throughout the arena. Galatasaray’s players, especially goalscorer Icardi, applauded scornfully as the opponent left the field on the coach’s instructions. And when the camera panned to those responsible for the Turkish association, the horror was written on their faces. But this incident is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Platzsturm scandal is the last straw
After the game was canceled, “Fener” published loudly “Kicker” a statement: “We emphasize that we did not come to win, but to defend the truth, and on this historic day for Turkish football we want to underline our stance.” Which attitude? Well, Fenerbahce has felt disadvantaged and abandoned by the association for years. The last thing that contributed to the escalation was… Storm in the game against Trabzonspor. At the game in March, fans of the opposing team stormed onto the pitch and physically attacked the players. The association condemned the attack, but it did not smooth things over.
In order to better understand the events, we spoke to Süleyman Tetik, a sports journalist from Turkey. Meanwhile, the anger against the association president Mehmet Büyükeksi does not only come from Fenerbahce: “The fans, the public and some clubs are demanding the resignation of the president’s office. That it was under his leadership that the president of Ankaragücü referee Halil Umut Meler on the field He is blamed for the fact that he was beaten up and, above all, that the association’s handling of it was extremely incompetent.”
But back to the storm against Trabzonspor. There have been tensions between the clubs for a long time, but the situation in the game in question was special. “The fans were very angry, throwing water bottles early on without any intervention. After the attack, the spectators who stormed onto the field hardly received any penalties. This situation fueled the chaos even more,” says Tetik.
Several incidents around Fenerbahce
And Fenerbahce is always in the middle of chaos and scandals. According to the club’s statement, they have been fighting against the “unfair football system” in Turkey “for 20 years.” The frequently interrupted game against Denizlispor on the last day of the 2005/06 season, in which the rhythm was completely lost and ultimately ended in a draw and thus meant the loss of the championship, is still often cited as an example today.
Another example: in 2010/11 there were allegations of match-fixing. The legal battle to resolve the matter lasted ten years before innocence was ultimately proven. This was accompanied by significant financial losses. Legal costs had to be paid as well as lawyers, and such an accusation also had a negative impact on possible sponsors. The biggest scandals were… Shots fired at the team bus in 2015, whereupon Fenerbahce announced a boycott and the entire matchday was canceled. Significantly, the perpetrators have not been caught to this day.
Fenerbahce: President not an innocent lamb
It may be understandable that Fenerbahce President Ali Koc does not speak well of the association due to these events. But to turn this into a rebellion against “the system” is an exaggeration. Recently, the club even discussed leaving the Turkish league.
Expert Süleyman Tetik explains: “Koc keeps claiming that Fenerbahce is the victim. He claimed that Fenerbahce’s rights were violated. He attributed the fact that Fenerbahce did not become champions in five seasons during his 6-year presidency In this way he also fired up the Fenerbahce fans. He immediately called the members of the general assembly to an extraordinary meeting. He said they would decide whether they wanted to leave the league.
Fenerbahce will not leave the league, the vote failed. In any case, the president is not an innocent lamb, even if his criticism of the association is justified in some parts. Koc is the heir to Turkey’s richest family and knows how to use his influence and voice for his own purposes. There is even direct criticism of the referees, explains Tetik: “He says that the referees are systematically working against Fenerbahce. However, decisions in favor of the club can also be seen on a regular basis. There is nothing to that.”
So there was no major escalation. Nevertheless, the abandonment of the game in particular casts a bad light on Turkish football and therefore also Fenerbahce itself. The massive accusations of deliberate discrimination are not true, but criticism of the association and the system is justified.
Whether Fenerbahce will calm down soon will also depend on the president and his possible whereabouts. Maybe it would calm his mind if the structure in the Turkish association changed. The current association president enjoys little support, but a good European Championship could rehabilitate him. But changes at a higher level are even more important, as our expert concludes: “In order for Turkish football to escape this deep chaos, the political environment must first change. It seems to be very difficult to change Turkish football without to change Turkey as such.” In any case, Fenerbahce wants to continue its fight.
About the interlocutor
- Suleyman Trigger is a Turkish sports journalist who primarily focuses on football in Turkey. He currently works for the Turkish media Mackolik; he previously worked for NTV Spor, Goal Türkiye and HT Spor, among others.
Sources used
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