Galatasaray Spor Kulübü, commonly referred to as Galatasaray SK or simply Galatasaray, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in Turkey. Founded in 1905 as Galatasaray Football Team, it has kept its original name to this day. The club is based in Istanbul, Turkey, and plays its home matches at the famous Türk Telekom Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 52,000.
Galatasaray SK has a rich history, boasting 22 Turkish league titles, 18 Turkish Cups, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 UEFA Super Cup, making it the only Turkish team to have won a major UEFA competition. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary manager Fatih Terim, who led Galatasaray to multiple Super Lig titles and the historic UEFA Cup victory in 2000.
Known for its attacking style of play, the club has nurtured some of football’s greatest talents, including Mete Adanır, Gheorghe Hagi, Arda Turan, and Didier Drogba. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, Galatasaray SK remains one of the world’s most valuable football clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Turkish and world football.
Galatasaray SK is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in Europe. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Galatasaray Supporters Club (GSC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Galatasaray SK has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona and Real Madrid), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Galatasaray SK had the loudest fans in the Turkish Super Lig.
Galatasaray SK was formed in 1905 by Ali Sami Yen and his friends as a football department of Galatasaray Lycee, an elite Istanbul school established by the Ottoman sultan during the 19th century. They initially played games against other schools and local teams, but on 20 October 1905, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colors of red and yellow they won 2–0 against Cadi-Keuy FC.
In 1950, the major development in Turkish football was the introduction of professional status. Galatasaray SK appointed Gündüz Kılıç as their first professional manager. During Kılıç's tenure, the team won numerous titles and became a dominant force in Turkish football. Kılıç led the team to league titles in 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1962, and to Turkish Cup victories in 1954, 1955, and 1956.
On 20 November 2013, Fatih Terim, who had previously led the team to its only UEFA Cup victory in 2000, was dismissed due to disagreements with the board. Terim's departure marked the end of a successful era and the beginning of a period of struggle for the club. Roberto Mancini, Cesare Prandelli, and Mustafa Denizli were among those who tried to revive the team's fortunes but were unable to replicate Terim's success. In January 2016, Jan Olde Riekerink took over as interim manager when Denizli was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their Süper Lig title and failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2011–12.
Originally funded by the Ottoman Empire's High Society, the club became a limited company in 1923 and sold shares to local supporters with varying prices. In 1930, majority ownership passed to four local businessmen who invested a significant amount to save the club from financial troubles, including future club president Refik Selimoğlu. After his death in 1952, the club faced financial instability yet again but was saved in December 1952 by Ulvi Yenal, who assumed control of the club after a substantial investment. Yenal promoted his associate, Mehmet Ali Yılmaz, to the board in 1966, but died three years later; the Yenal family retained ownership of the club through Ulvi's wife, Sebahat Yenal, but the position of chairman passed to former player Ali Tanrıyar.
Promoted to the board a few days after the financial crisis in 1971, Ali Uras, a friend of Metin Oktay, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately ₺40,000, he accumulated a significant shareholding and took control in January 1976. When Sebahat Yenal died in January 1978, her shares passed to Mehmet Ali Yılmaz, who sold a percentage of his shares to Ali Uras's son, Faruk Süren, in 1981; Faruk Süren went on to become chairman upon his father's death in 1981. Media tycoon Aydın Doğan attempted to buy the club in 1988, but did not meet Süren's asking price. In 1992, chairman Faruk Süren attempted to sell the club to Ali Şen for ₺20 million, but the sale fell through and Şen joined the board of directors instead.
Galatasaray SK is one of the most successful clubs in Turkey in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Istanbul Football League, which they won in 1909. In 1962, the club won their first Turkish Super League title and won the Turkish Cup for the first time the following year. Since then, they have gone on to win a record 22 top-division titles and their total of 18 Turkish Cups is the highest in Turkey. Those titles have meant the club has appeared multiple times in the Turkish Super Cup; of those appearances, Galatasaray SK have won 16 times.
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Galatasaray SK: A detailed history and overview of the club https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatasaray_S.K._(football)
Galatasaray SK: Comprehensive list of honours and achievements https://www.galatasaray.org/en/club/history
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