Yıldırım, Safi face off in Fenerbahçe leadership race
ISTANBUL
Former Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım.
Fenerbahçe members are set to choose a new president this weekend in an extraordinary congress that has become one of the most closely watched elections in the club’s history, with former chairman Aziz Yıldırım facing businessman Hakan Safi after the withdrawal of other contenders.
The election will be held on June 6-7, following the resignation of club chair Sadettin Saran, who announced he would step down earlier this year. The extraordinary congress comes as the Istanbul club seeks to end a 13-year Turkish league title drought and reset its sporting direction ahead of its 120th anniversary season.
Yıldırım, who led Fenerbahçe from 1998 to 2018, formally announced his candidacy in May, portraying his return bid as an effort to restore stability and unite the club. He has highlighted his experience and past success during his two decades in charge, a period that included multiple domestic titles.
Safi, meanwhile, has campaigned on promises of a new vision for the club, pledging major investments in the squad, stadium expansion and greater financial independence. In recent days, he has also made headlines with ambitious transfer promises aimed at energizing supporters ahead of the vote.
The race narrowed to two candidates after former Turkish Football Federation president Mehmet Ali Aydınlar and businessman Barış Göktürk withdrew from contention. Göktürk later announced his support for Yıldırım.
According to media reports, Yıldırım’s proposed board includes several former club executives and prominent business figures associated with previous administrations, while Safi’s slate features executives from the construction, finance and sports sectors as part of his pledge to bring a younger management team to the club.
Over 40,000 members are eligible to vote, although turnout is expected to play a decisive role in the outcome. Local commentators have suggested that lower participation could favor Yıldırım’s established support base, while higher turnout may benefit Safi’s campaign among newer members.
The vote will follow a court ruling against Saran on June 4 that sentenced him to two years and six months in prison on charges of inciting illegal betting through ads.
Saran had been under legal scrutiny over allegations that illegal betting advertisements were broadcast during football matches aired via S Sport, operated under Saran’s media group.
The ads were allegedly placed unlawfully on stadium advertising boards and beside both goals, constituting promotion of unauthorized betting sites, the indictment said.
The Fenerbahçe president and his brother, Kenan Saran, were each sentenced to two years and six months in prison, along with an administrative fine of 562,500 Turkish Liras ($12,230), for “encouraging individuals to place illegal bets through advertising or other means.”