Fixtures

Türkiye Super Lig 01/05 15:00 18 Fenerbahce vs Hatayspor - View
Türkiye Cup 01/07 18:00 1 Kasimpasa vs Fenerbahce - View
Türkiye Super Lig 01/12 15:00 19 Konyaspor vs Fenerbahce - View
Türkiye Super Lig 01/19 15:00 20 Adana Demirspor vs Fenerbahce - View
UEFA Europa League 01/23 17:45 7 Fenerbahce vs Lyon - View
Türkiye Super Lig 01/26 19:00 21 Fenerbahce vs Goztepe - View

Results

Türkiye Super Lig 12/20 17:00 17 [4] Eyupspor v Fenerbahce [2] D 1-1
Türkiye Super Lig 12/15 16:00 16 [2] Fenerbahce v Istanbul Basaksehir [7] W 3-1
UEFA Europa League 12/11 15:30 6 [15] Fenerbahce v Athletic Bilbao [2] L 0-2
Türkiye Super Lig 12/07 16:00 15 [6] Besiktas v Fenerbahce [2] L 1-0
Türkiye Super Lig 12/02 17:00 14 [2] Fenerbahce v Gaziantep FK [13] W 3-1
UEFA Europa League 11/28 20:00 5 [23] Slavia Prague v Fenerbahce [21] W 1-2
Türkiye Super Lig 11/23 13:00 13 [15] Kayserispor v Fenerbahce [2] W 2-6
Club Friendly List 11/15 17:00 - Fenerbahce v Zenit St Petersburg W 2-1
Türkiye Super Lig 11/10 16:00 12 [3] Fenerbahce v Sivasspor [7] W 4-0
UEFA Europa League 11/07 20:00 4 [27] AZ v Fenerbahce [15] L 3-1
Türkiye Super Lig 11/03 16:00 11 [11] Trabzonspor v Fenerbahce [3] W 2-3
Türkiye Super Lig 10/27 16:00 10 [4] Fenerbahce v Bodrum FK [12] W 2-0

Stats

 TotalHomeAway
Matches played 61 31 30
Wins 41 23 18
Draws 11 4 7
Losses 9 4 5
Goals for 138 76 62
Goals against 59 25 34
Clean sheets 22 11 11
Failed to score 7 4 3

Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Turkish: [feˈnæɾbahtʃe], Fenerbahçe Sports Club), commonly known simply as Fenerbahçe or colloquially as Fener, is a professional football club based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey. They represent the men's football department of the Fenerbahçe S.K. sports club and compete in the Süper Lig, the top flight of Turkish football. In domestic football, Fenerbahçe have won a record 28 Turkish national championship titles, 9 Turkish Super Cup and 7 Turkish Cups. In international football, the club has won the Balkans Cup, which was the first non-domestic trophy won by a Turkish club.

Deriving its name from the neighbourhood of the same name, Fenerbahçe won the most top-flight titles prior to the establishment of the Süper Lig in 1959. They hold the joint-record for the longest uninterrupted top-flight streak and have won the most points in Süper Lig history. Fenerbahçe have played their home games at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium since 1908.

One of the most widely supported clubs in Turkey, the club also boasts sizeable international support on social media. Fenerbahçe are part of the "Big Three" alongside Galatasaray and Beşiktaş: the club's long-standing rivalry with Galatasaray consists of Turkish domestic football's biggest match, The Intercontinental Derby (Kıtalararası Derbi).

In its 101st year of 2008; with a market value of $2 billion, it surpassed Manchester United to become the world's most valuable club. Also, in March 2008, Fenerbahçe's record application was accepted by Guinness World Records, which envisages Fenerbahçe to have the highest number of medal and trophy achievements on the planet with its 9 departments entirely, a total of 1134 cups and medals.

History

Initiative, Prototype team (1906)

Ziya Songülen the founder and 1st president of club

The founder and first president of Fenerbahçe, Nurizade Ziya Songülen, was first introduced to the football in England, where he went for higher education after graduating from Istanbul Saint-Joseph College in 1903, and was inspired by the football teams in this country, where the sport of football was born. When he returned to the country in 1906, the first thing he did was to establish a football team in his hometown, Istanbul in June 1906. He first contacted his friends in the Kadıköy district and then Enver Yetiker, the literature teacher at the school he graduated from, and conveyed his intention to establish a football team to them and made them an offer. Nurizade Ziya Bey, who received a positive response to his offer, initially only went to training with the first Fenerbahçe football team in history, the prototype of which was created in June 1906. Because the team could only be completed as an 11-person team in the spring of 1907, the official foundation date of the club.

Early years (1907–1959)

The first team in 1907-08 season (The founder of the club Ziya Songülen, is fourth from the left standing)

Fenerbahçe were officially founded in 3 May 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. Founded by Ottoman Greeks, Strugglers F.C. played against Fenerbahçe in the final match of the tournament it organized in its name on June 5, 1910, and Fenerbahçe won the match 3-1, winning the first cup in its history. The crest of the club was changed in 1914 when Hikmet Topuzer redesigned the badge after Ziya Songülen had changed the colors to yellow and navy in the fall of 1908, 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.

Newspaper news about a match played by Fenerbahçe in the regional tournament on 1 March 1908

The founding line-up included Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey, Necip Okaner, Galip Kulaksızoğlu, Hassan Sami Kocamemi, Asaf Beşpınar, Enver Yetiker, Şevkati Hulusi Bey, Tevfik Taşçı, Hüseyin Dalaklı, Çerkes Sabri, Mazhar Bey and Nasuhi Baydar. Struggling with financial difficulties, Fenerbahçe joined the Istanbul Football League in 1908, finishing fifth in their first year. The first coach of the Fenerbahçe football team was Enver Yetiker, a Literature teacher at Kadıköy Lycée Saint-Joseph, who also helped in the establishment of the club. Fenerbahçe won the 1911–12 season of the Istanbul Football League without losing. This championship was the club's first success in their long history. In the 1913–14 and 1914–15 seasons, the team under the coaching of Galip Kulaksızoğlu won the Istanbul Football League. Fenerbahçe gained the sympathy of some members of the Ottoman Dynasty, especially the princes, after the successful results it achieved in the early years of its establishment. For example, General Osman Fuad, the grandson of Sultan Murad V, served as the honorary president of the club between 1911 and 1913, and Prince Ömer Faruk, the son of the last Ottoman Caliph, Abdulmecid II, became the president of Fenerbahçe until 1924, when the abolition of the Ottoman sultanate. Fenerbahçe finished the seasons 1920–21 and 1922–23 as champions in the Istanbul Friday League. Fenerbahçe completed the season with a score of 58–0 without losing or conceding goals in the season of 1922–23.

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 match held on 29 June 1923 at Taksim Stadium with two goals scored by Zeki Rıza Sporel, one of the important players of the period.

Fenerbahçe won the championship 6 times in 1937, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946 and 1950, and became the team that achieved the most victories in the Turkish National Division. Lefter Küçükandonyadis, one of the important names of Fenerbahçe, scored 423 goals in 615 matches between 1947–1951 and 1953–64. 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.

Domestic dominance (1959–1969)

Under the guidance of Ignác Molnár, the club won many trophies

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 match 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.

Fenerbahçe's Balkan Cup championship

In the 1966–67 Balkans Cup (a competition set up for Eastern European clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia that existed between the 1960–61 and 1993–94 seasons), 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.

Interval and rebound (1969–2007)

Didi coached the club between 1972 and 1975, winning eight trophies

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 with 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, defeated 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. However, the next season did not go so well as 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, 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 Fábio Luciano as a rebuilding process. These new players lead Fenerbahçe to its 15th title and third star (one being awarded for every five league titles won by a club).

100th year celebration of the club

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.

Modern era (2007–present)

Zico coached the club between 2006 and 2008

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 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 (meaning "King Arthur" in Turkish). 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, Dani Güiza, Dirk Kuyt, Diego, Nani, Robin van Persie, and Mesut Özil.

Fenerbahçe against Chelsea in the second leg of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals which they lost 2–0

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 (10), as well as the joint longest winning streak (8). 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. On 12 October 2022, Fenerbahçe played their 250th European game against AEK Larnaca.

Fenerbahce is one of the most successful and popular soccer teams in Turkey. Founded in 1907, the team is based in Istanbul and plays their home matches at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. The team's colors are yellow and navy blue, and their mascot is a canary.

Fenerbahce has a passionate fan base known as the "Yellow Canaries" who support the team with unwavering loyalty. The team has a long-standing rivalry with Galatasaray, another top Turkish soccer team, and matches between the two are known as the Intercontinental Derby.

Fenerbahce has a rich history of success, having won numerous Turkish Super Lig titles and Turkish Cups. The team has also had success in European competitions, reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2007-2008 season.

The team has been home to many talented players over the years, including legends like Alex de Souza and Roberto Carlos. Fenerbahce is known for their attacking style of play and their ability to produce exciting and entertaining matches for their fans.

Overall, Fenerbahce is a powerhouse in Turkish soccer with a storied history and a bright future ahead.