Football in Turkey
If you’ve ever watched a Turkish football match, you will have noticed one thing – the fans are crazy!
Football in Turkey is huge, whether it’s a Turkish team or a big European team on the screen. Turks love football, and when it comes to their own team, the passion goes up a notch or ten!
Turkey has some big teams, and they are all based in Istanbul. The biggest teams are Galatasaray, Besiktas, and Fenerbahce. You will certainly have heard of these teams, as they regularly play in the big European tournaments, such as the Champions’ League and the Europa Cup. A big night of football in Istanbul is certainly something to behold, and if you can get tickets to one of these matches, you’ll be in for a very passionate and very loud treat! Many teams hate going to play away in Istanbul, because the crowds are so loud and imposing.
Galatasaray have just won the Super League, which is Turkey’s Premier League. That means they will be in the pot for the Champions’ League next season. This year, Besiktas were part of the draw, losing to Bayern Munich in the quarter finals. Despite the loss, fans from all around the world, not just from al around Turkey, flocked to the Vodafone Arena to watch the spectacle, and of course, check out Istanbul at the same time.
The Turkish national team however are not really doing so well. They aren’t part of this year’s World Cup spectacle, which was a huge disappointment for home football fans. Having said that, this fact won’t stop millions of Turks tuning in to this summer’s matches, becuase whether it is Brazil, Argentina, Spain, England, Germany, or anyone else, they love to watch the big named stars playing in big tournaments. It doesn’t matter what day it is, if you walk past a bar or tea garden, you’ll see football in some guise on the TV – Turkey is crazy about football, any football!
Going to a Match
If you can, whilst you’re in Turkey, it’s a must do to go to a big football match. Of course, this is mostly going to be the case whilst you’re in Istanbul, but if you’re visiting Antalya, Antalyaspor have a big name, and Konya too. Despite that, the best atmospheres are certainly in the biggest city, and this is where the biggest and best stadiums are too.
Besiktas’ Vodafone Arena is beautifully scenic, and it is literally a stone’s throw from the banks of the Bosphorus, overlooking the stunning Dolmabahce Palace. Fenerbahce’s Ulker Stadium is located on the Asian side, in Kadikoy. This is a wonderful place to visit, and there is a vibrant nightlife to enjoy too. Galatasaray’s home ground, the Turk Telekom Arena, is a little further out of the main areas, and you will need to either drive or get the Metro to visit. You can only reach the ground via Metro when there is a game on. Having said that, if you want to watch a match in Taksim, you’ll get a real feeling of being amongst Galatasaray’s biggest fans, as this is considered a Galatasaray area, having formerly being the site of the old stadium, many years ago.
To get tickets, you’ll need to visit the stadium or head online. Be careful who you get your tickets from, and you will also need to apply for a Pasolig card, which allows you to purchase match tickets. This is a quick process. If you got to the Galatasaray Store in Taksim in particular, you’ll be able to pick up quite cheap tickets if you’re in the right place at the right time!
A Fenerbahce V Galatasaray match is one of the biggest in the calendar, and if you can get tickets for this, you’ll be in for a seriously loud treat!
