History of Galatasaray S.K. facts for kids
The history of Galatasaray S.K. tells the story of a famous sports club from Istanbul, Turkey, over more than 100 years. Founded in 1905, Galatasaray has grown to become the most successful football club in Turkish football history.
Standing: Adnan, Milo Bakiş, Ali Sami (the club's founder), Ahmet Robenson, Asım Tevfik, Emin Bülent, Hamit, Fuat.
Sitting: Celal Ibrahim, Sabri Mahir, Tevfik Fikret (headmaster), Hasan, Bekir.
On the ground: Horace Armitage (coach and captain), İdris.
Contents
- How Galatasaray Started
- Early Years of Football
- The Professional Era
- Famous Players
- Honours
- Managerial History
- Presidential History
- Great Matches in Europe
How Galatasaray Started
The Galatasaray High School became a modern school in 1868, inspired by French schools. French was the main language, and many teachers were from Europe. Students came from all different backgrounds across the Ottoman Empire.
Sports, especially gymnastics, became a new subject. In 1899, football arrived at the school, but students mostly just kicked the ball around.
In 1902, Ali Sami Yen saw Englishmen playing football and was inspired. On October 14, 1905, during a history class, he and his friends decided to create a football club. They founded the club in their classroom, Literature 5B.
Ali Sami Yen was the main person behind the club's start. Other co-founders included Asim Tevfik Sonumut, Emin Bülent Serdaroğlu, Celal Ibrahim, and many more.
Their first match was against Kadıköy Faure School, and they won 2–0! They discussed names like Gloria (victory) or Audace (courage), but finally chose Galatasaray.
Our aim is to play together like Englishmen, to have a color and a name and to beat the non – Turkish teams. –Ali Sami Yen
Some say the name "Galata Sarayı" came from spectators calling them "Gentlemen of Galata Palace" after a 2–0 win against a Greek team. In 1905, there were no laws for sports clubs in the Ottoman Empire, so Galatasaray couldn't be officially registered until 1912. This made Galatasaray the first ever Turkish football club.
At first, Galatasaray's colors were red and white, like the modern Turkish flag. But this made the government uncomfortable, so on December 26, 1906, the colors were changed to yellow and black. However, after a big 0–5 loss, these colors were thought to bring bad luck.
So, on December 6, 1908, new colors were chosen: red and yellow. Ali Sami Yen explained that they saw two beautiful wool fabrics, one dark red and one rich yellow. When the sales clerk twisted them together, they looked like a shining goldfinch or flickering fire. They hoped these colors would bring them many victories, and they did!
Early Years of Football
Ali Sami Yen's Leadership
Ali Sami Yen was not only the founder but also the first president of Galatasaray, serving until the 1920s. He played a huge role in starting and growing the first Turkish football club, protecting it during a time when rules were very strict in Istanbul under the Ottoman Empire.
From 1905 to 1906, Galatasaray only played friendly matches. Since there weren't many Turkish teams, Galatasaray joined the Istanbul Football League in 1906–1907. This league was mostly made up of English and Greek teams.
In their first season, Galatasaray finished 4th. The next season, they finished 3rd.
First Golden Era (1908–1916)
In 1908, Galatasaray SK signed Horace Armitage as a player and manager. He had already won the league twice with another team. This marked the beginning of Galatasaray's first golden era.
The club won the Istanbul Football League three times in a row: in 1909, 1910, and 1911.
Even after Armitage left in 1911, the club continued its success, winning the league again in 1915 and 1916.
Ali Sami Yen also became the first president of the "Turkiye Futbol Birligi" (Turkish Football Union) in 1911.
The first ever "Intercontinental Derby" (a big match between Istanbul rivals) was played on January 17, 1909. Galatasaray won 2–0 against Fenerbahçe SK. Emin Bülent Serdaroğlu scored the first goal in this historic rivalry.
On February 12, 1911, Galatasaray SK had their biggest derby win, beating Fenerbahçe SK 7–0, even with only 7 players on the field! Galatasaray won the first eight derby matches, scoring 28 goals and not letting in any.
Second Golden Era (1921–1931)
In 1920, player and captain Necip Şahin became the team's manager while still playing. After five years without a title, the club finally won the league in 1922.
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Galatasaray then hired Billy Hunter, who was coaching the Turkish national team. Under him, they won the Istanbul League three times in a row (1925, 1926, 1927). The 1928 championship was canceled because of the Olympic Games.
After Hunter left, Galatasaray legend Nihat Bekdik became player-manager and led the club to the 1929 title. Nihat Bekdik was a star player, playing for Galatasaray for twenty years and being captain for twelve years (1924–1936).
In 1931, the club won the Istanbul Football League for the 11th time, their sixth title in ten years.
Tough Times (1932–1948)
After a disagreement among Galatasaray members in 1933, some players left to form a new club called Güneş SK. This new club managed to sign some of Galatasaray's best players, leading to a difficult period for Galatasaray.
Between 1932 and 1949, the club didn't win the Istanbul League. They did win the Istanbul Shield in 1933 and the Milli Küme in 1939. The whole club faced challenges during this time.
Despite the difficulties, new star player Gündüz Kılıç joined in 1934. With him, the club won the Istanbul Cup in 1942 and 1943.
Getting Back on Track (1949–1958)
In 1948, the club signed Peter Molloy. After eighteen years, Galatasaray SK finally won the Istanbul Football League again in the 1948–1949 season.
In 1952, the Istanbul Football League became a professional league. That same year, Galatasaray legend Gündüz Kılıç retired from playing at age 33 and became the club's manager. He returned in 1954 and stayed until 1957.
During his second time as coach, from 1954 to 1957, the club won the Istanbul Football League in 1954–1955 and 1955–1956.
The European Champion Clubs' Cup started in 1955–1956. Since the Istanbul Football League was the strongest in Turkey, Galatasaray SK played in the 1956–1957 European Champion Clubs' Cup.
Galatasaray lost to Dinamo București 3–1 in Bucharest but won 2–1 in Istanbul. Even though they were eliminated, it was a historic moment. Galatasaray SK became the first Turkish club to play, score, and win a match in a UEFA competition.
In 1957, George Dick became manager, and the club won their last Istanbul Football League title in 1958.
In 1955, the club signed 19-year-old Metin Oktay, who was the top scorer in the Izmir Football League. This marked the start of a new era.
The Professional Era
Joining the National League: 1959
The "Türkiye Profesyonel 1. Ligi" (now called Süper Lig) started in 1959. This is Turkey's top professional football league.
The first season in 1959 had sixteen clubs split into two groups: Red Group and White Group. The winners of each group played in a two-game final. Galatasaray won the Red Group, and Fenerbahçe won the White Group.
Galatasaray won the first final match 1–0, with Metin Oktay scoring so powerfully that the ball ripped the net! However, Fenerbahçe won the second match 4–0, winning 4–1 overall.
Metin Oktay was the top scorer with 11 goals. He also became top scorer in 1960 and 1961, but the club didn't win the league those years.
Third Golden Era (1962–1966)
Gündüz Kılıç became Galatasaray SK manager for the third time in 1960. Galatasaray SK won the league in 1961–1962 and 1962–1963.
In the 1962–1963 season, the club scored 105 goals, which is still a Süper Lig record. Metin Oktay was the top scorer for the 4th time.
In the same season, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) started the Turkish Cup. Galatasaray SK won both final games 2–1 against Fenerbahçe SK, becoming the first club to win both the league and the cup in the same year (a "double").
Galatasaray SK didn't win the Süper Lig for the next five seasons, but they won the Turkish Cup four times in a row, which is still a Süper Lig record.
In 1966, the TFF started the Turkish Super Cup. Galatasaray SK won the first Super Cup, beating Süper Lig champion Beşiktaş JK 2–0.
After seven consecutive seasons and a total of eleven seasons, manager Gündüz Kılıç left. He had won two Istanbul Football League championships, two Süper Lig titles, four Turkish Cups, and one Turkish Super Cup.
Fourth Golden Era (1969–1973)
After 5 seasons without winning the Süper Lig, new Galatasaray president Selahattin Beyazıt signed Tomislav Kaloperović as the new manager.
Galatasaray became champions, and legend Metin Oktay ended his career winning the top scorer award for the sixth time, which is still a Süper Lig record.
After finishing eighth in 1969–1970, the club won three Süper Lig championships in a row in 1971, 1972, and 1973. This was the first time any club had won the Süper Lig three times in a row.
The Renaissance (1984–1992)
Derwall and Denizli Era
German coach Jupp Derwall surprised everyone by choosing to manage Galatasaray in Turkey, even though Turkish football wasn't well-known in Europe at the time. His arrival changed things, bringing modern European training methods and tactics to Turkish football. He is seen as a person who revolutionized Turkish football.
Two of Turkey's most respected coaches, Fatih Terim and Mustafa Denizli, learned from Derwall during his time in Turkey.
Derwall retired in 1987. His assistant coach, Mustafa Denizli, took over. Denizli continued Galatasaray's progress. In 1989, Galatasaray made history for Turkish football by reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Fifth Golden Era (1992–2002): Top of Europe
Alp Yalman Era: 1990–1996
Alp Yalman was president of the club for six years, starting in 1990. During his time, Galatasaray S.K. won two league titles, two national cups, and two national super cups. He often worked with German coaches.
Galatasaray also gained attention by beating Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League in 1993. This showed that Turkish football was improving, with Galatasaray leading the way.
Süren and Terim Era: 1996–2000
Galatasaray's most successful period was in the late 1990s. The club won the UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup, becoming the first Turkish football club to win a European trophy! This was helped by a talented group of Turkish players who later finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Between 1996 and 2000, Galatasaray won four Turkish league titles in a row, a record the club still holds. This amazing success was topped off when the club won the Turkish League, the Turkish Cup, and the UEFA Cup all in the same season in 2000.
All these achievements happened under the coaching of Fatih Terim and the leadership of club president Faruk Süren.
Fatih Terim is known as Galatasaray's most successful manager. After he left, Galatasaray won the UEFA Super Cup in 2000. The club then reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2001 under coach Mircea Lucescu.
Ups and Downs (2002–2011)
Canaydin Era: 2002–2008
In the early 2000s, Galatasaray was one of Europe's top clubs. However, as the successful team from 1996–2000 got older, the club struggled to find new young stars. Success faded, and the club faced money problems.
During this time, the club worked on projects like Galatasaray Store and Galatasaray TV to connect with fans and earn more money. A big project was building a new stadium, which started in December 2007.
The new stadium, Aslantepe, opened in 2009 with a capacity for 52,000 people. It replaced their old stadium, Ali Sami Yen Stadium.
Galatasaray became champions for the 2007–2008 season. Coach Cevat Güler said this win was due to months of hard work.
Polat Era: 2008–2011
Adnan Polat became chairman in 2008, and Michael Skibbe became manager. The club won the Turkish Super Cup. In the 2008–2009 season, Galatasaray played in the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) and reached the fourth round.
In the 2009–10 season, Frank Rijkaard became manager. Galatasaray started strong but finished 3rd in the league. They reached the third round of the UEFA Europa League.
The 2010–11 season was tough. Galatasaray was eliminated early from the Europa League and had a very bad start in the Süper Lig. Managers were changed several times. Galatasaray finished 8th, their worst season since 1981–82.
Sixth Golden Era (2011–Present)
Aysal Era: 2011–2014
On May 14, 2011, Ünal Aysal became the new president of Galatasaray. After a difficult season, Galatasaray had not qualified for European football. Aysal's first big move was to bring back Fatih Terim as manager for a third time.
Galatasaray SK won the 2011–2012 Süper Lig. It was the club's eighteenth league title, and Fatih Terim set a new record by winning the Süper Lig for the fifth time as a manager. This was also the first season at their new home, the Türk Telekom Arena. He extended this record to six when Galatasaray won the 2012–2013 Süper Lig.
Galatasaray SK won the "treble" (three major trophies) in the 2014–15 season, winning the Süper Lig, Turkish Cup, and Süper Kupa. This was the club's sixth "double" (league and cup win) and their first in 15 years.
The "Emperor" Returns
Even though they won the Turkish Cup for the third time in a row in 2015–2016, the club finished 6th in the league. The president changed coaches several times during this period.
Despite these changes, the legendary manager Fatih Terim returned. Even with a mid-season change, the club managed to win the 2017–2018 Süper Lig.
Galatasaray won the "treble" again in the 2018–19 season, winning the Süper Lig, Turkish Cup, and Süper Kupa. This was the club's seventh "double."
Famous Players
Many amazing footballers have played for Galatasaray and left their mark on Turkish football history. Some examples include:
- Gündüz Kılıç, nicknamed Baba (father), who was a successful player and coach in the 1950s.
- Turgay Şeren, the heroic goalkeeper called "the Panther of Berlin."
- Fatih Terim, who was the team captain for Galatasaray and the Turkey national football team for years, and later became a very successful coach.
- Metin Oktay, who was the top scorer in the Turkish league six times.
- Tanju Çolak, a great goalscorer and winner of the European Golden Boot in 1988 with Galatasaray.
- Taffarel, the World Cup-winning goalkeeper from Brazil.
- Gheorghe Hagi, a Romanian football hero often called the best foreign player to ever play in Turkey.
- Hakan Şükür, who scored the most goals in top-flight Turkish Football (249 goals) and spent 14 years at Galatasaray, scoring 228 goals for the club.
Honours
Managerial History
Presidential History
Great Matches in Europe
