Soccer-Aziz Yildirim elected Fenerbahce president in comeback after eight years away

Fenerbahce Futbol AS

08/06/2026 07:43

    GDANSK, June 8 (Reuters) - Aziz Yildirim has been elected president of Istanbul's Fenerbahce, the club said on its website, returning to the role eight years after leaving office.
The 73-year-old businessman, who led the club from 1998 to 2018, defeated rival businessman Hakan Safi in an extraordinary general assembly vote held on Sunday in Istanbul's Kadikoy district.
The vote followed a turbulent period for the club. The election was triggered after outgoing chairman Sadettin Saran announced he would step down, prompting the club to schedule an extraordinary congress on June 6-7.
 On June 4, a Turkish court sentenced Saran to 2-1/2 years in prison for inciting illegal betting.
Yildirim had announced his candidacy ahead of the vote, setting up a contest with Safi as Fenerbahce looks to end a 13-year domestic league title drought. 

(Reporting by Canan Sevgili; Editing by Daren Butler)
((canan.sevgili@thomsonreuters.com;))