Former Fenerbahçe chief Aziz Yıldırım has reclaimed the club presidency, winning a closely watched election ahead of businessman Hakan Safi as members voted for experience and an ambitious new sporting project.
Fenerbahçe members have voted Aziz Yıldırım back into power as club president, choosing the long-serving former leader over challenger Hakan Safi in a high-stakes election framed around returning the club to the summit of Turkish and European football. The race, held at the club’s historic home in Istanbul, drew thousands of voting members and intense media attention as supporters weighed continuity, financial stability, and promises of major investment in the squad.
Yıldırım, who previously presided over Fenerbahçe for two decades and oversaw multiple league titles, campaigned on a platform of structural reform, ambitious targets for the Süper Lig and Europe, and a commitment to restoring the club’s “fear factor” on and off the pitch. His victory marks a dramatic return to the presidency years after he lost the role, underlining his enduring influence among the club’s congress members and the depth of support for his vision of a more assertive, trophy-focused Fenerbahçe.
Defeated candidate Hakan Safi, a prominent businessman and first-time presidential hopeful, had pitched himself as a modernising figure promising corporate discipline and fresh commercial strategies for the club. Despite building momentum and visibility in the final days of the campaign, Safi ultimately fell short at the ballot box as members opted for Yıldırım’s experience and established leadership in a period many see as decisive for Fenerbahçe’s sporting future.
Attention will now turn to how quickly Yıldırım moves to implement his plans, including potential changes to the football department, transfer strategy, and academy structure ahead of the new season. With expectations soaring among fans who have grown impatient for major silverware, the returning president faces immediate pressure to translate his electoral mandate into on-pitch success and long-term stability for one of Turkey’s most passionately supported clubs.
