Galatasaray

Galatasaray Spor Kulübü, commonly referred to as Galatasaray, is a Turkish multi-sport club based in Istanbul. Founded in 1905 by Ali Sami Yen and fellow students of Galatasaray High School, it fields teams in various sports, with football being the most prominent.

The club's colors are red and yellow, and its crest features a shield with the club initials. Galatasaray is part of Turkey’s traditional “big three” clubs, alongside Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, and has a large and passionate supporter base. It is nicknamed Cim Bom or Aslanlar (the Lions).

Galatasaray plays its home football matches at the NEF Stadyumu in Istanbul’s Seyrantepe district. The stadium opened in 2011 as the Türk Telekom Arena and has a capacity of about 52,000. Naming rights were later acquired by NEF, and the venue is commonly referred to as NEF Stadyumu.

In domestic competition, Galatasaray competes in the Süper Lig, Turkish Cup, and Turkish Super Cup, and has won numerous league titles and cups over its history. In European competition, the club achieved significant success by winning the UEFA Cup in 1999–2000 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2000, becoming the first Turkish club to win a major European competition.

Notable figures associated with Galatasaray include star players and coaches who have contributed to its success, such as Gheorghe Hagi and Didier Drogba. The club maintains rivalries with other Turkish teams, most notably Fenerbahçe, with matches between them producing intense derbies.