Fenerbahçe are one victory away from ending a 17-year wait for the UEFA Champions League as they travel to face Lyon on Wednesday in the decisive leg of their playoff.
The Turkish side drew 1-1 with Lyon in the first leg in Istanbul and now need a win in France to secure a place in the Champions League league phase for the first time since the 2008-09 season. A draw would send the tie to extra time and potentially penalties.
For Fenerbahçe, the stakes go far beyond a single playoff. The club have repeatedly fallen short in qualifying and have also missed out on the competition because of UEFA sanctions, despite winning the Turkish league.
Fenerbahçe first reached the Champions League group stage in the 1996-97 season and have since appeared in the competition's main phase six times, most recently in 2008-09.
Their best run came in 2007-08 under Brazilian coach Arthur Zico, when they reached the quarterfinals before losing to Chelsea.
That remains the club's deepest run in the competition and one of the defining European campaigns in Fenerbahçe's history.
Fenerbahçe have had to navigate a particularly difficult path back to Europe's premier club competition.
The club's most recent Champions League appearance came 17 seasons ago. Since then, their attempts to return have repeatedly ended in the qualifying rounds.
Fenerbahçe also missed the competition despite winning the Turkish Süper Lig in 2010-11. They had qualified directly for the Champions League but were prevented from participating amid the match-fixing investigation in Turkish football.
Two years later, after being eliminated by Arsenal in the 2013-14 playoff, Fenerbahçe received a two-year UEFA ban from European competitions. They subsequently won the Süper Lig that season but were unable to enter the Champions League in 2014-15 because of the sanction.
The club have also fallen short 11 times through Champions League qualifying.
Their first such failure came in 2002-03, when Feyenoord eliminated them in the third qualifying round after 1-0 and 2-0 victories.
They were then stopped by Dinamo Kyiv in 2006-07, Young Boys in 2010-11 and Spartak Moscow in 2012-13.
In 2013-14, Fenerbahçe eliminated Salzburg to reach the playoffs but were beaten by Arsenal over two legs.
Shakhtar Donetsk ended their campaign in 2015-16, while Monaco knocked them out the following season despite Fenerbahçe winning the first leg 2-1 in Istanbul.
Benfica eliminated them in 2018-19 after a 1-0 win in Portugal was followed by a 1-1 draw in Istanbul.
Their next attempt came in 2022-23 under Jorge Jesus. Fenerbahçe drew 0-0 away to Dinamo Kyiv before losing 2-1 at home.
The disappointment continued last season under Jose Mourinho.
Fenerbahçe advanced past Lugano in the second qualifying round and then faced Lille in the third round. After losing the first leg 2-1 in France, they won 1-0 in Istanbul to force extra time.
A late Lille equalizer ended their hopes and sent the French side through.
Fenerbahçe received another chance the following season, beating Feyenoord in the third qualifying round before meeting Benfica in the playoff.
Fenerbahçe drew 0-0 at home but lost 1-0 in Portugal, missing the league phase once again.
The defeat marked another painful chapter in the club's long struggle to return to the competition.
Standing in their way this time is a Lyon side that have also endured difficult years but are showing signs of a revival.
Lyon last reached the Champions League semifinals in 2019-20, when they were eventually eliminated by Bayern Munich, who went on to win the title.
After years of financial difficulties, Lyon finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season and reached the Europa League round of 16 under coach Paulo Fonseca.
Fonseca's team also overcame Sparta Prague in this season's third qualifying round. After losing the first leg, Lyon responded with a 3-0 victory at home before drawing in Türkiye.
They then opened their Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Toulouse.
History also favors Lyon in qualifying. The French club have won five of their last six two-legged Champions League qualifying ties.
They also have a strong record against Fenerbahçe, having defeated the Turkish club four times during their previous meetings in the Champions League group stage. The sides drew 0-0 in the Europa League during the 2024-25 season.
Fenerbahçe's preparations have not been entirely smooth.
İsmail Kartal has taken charge after Domenico Tedesco replaced Mourinho, and the new coach guided the team past Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz in the opening qualifying rounds.
But Fenerbahçe suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat to Gençlerbirliği at the start of their domestic campaign, increasing pressure on Kartal and a squad assembled with Champions League ambitions.
The team responded with a 4-2 victory over Konyaspor, offering some relief before the decisive trip to France.
Anderson Talisca has emerged as one of Fenerbahçe's key attacking weapons, scoring in five consecutive matches and accounting for four of the team's six goals during Champions League qualifying.
The Brazilian could again play a central role against Lyon, potentially operating as a false nine while Marco Asensio plays behind him. Romelu Lukaku and Vedat Muriqi provide alternative options up front, while Nene Dorgeles impressed off the bench in the first leg and hit the post with a long-range attempt.
Fenerbahçe will also have to manage several squad concerns. Çağlar Söyüncü has a muscular problem, goalkeeper Mert Günok remains sidelined and Jayden Oosterwolde is expected to join Roma.
Ederson has therefore retained his place in goal after starting the first leg and the league victory over Konyaspor.
Lyon are also dealing with an injury concern, with defender Moussa Niakhate struggling with an ankle problem. But Paulo Fonseca is expected to welcome back key players Tyler Morton and captain Corentin Tolisso after rotating his squad at the weekend.
Pavel Sulc has recovered from a knee issue, while Argentina international Nicolas Tagliafico is available again after his post-World Cup holiday.
Lois Openda is expected to lead Lyon's attack.
For Fenerbahçe, Wednesday's match represents another chance to rewrite a frustrating chapter in the club's European history.
Six Champions League campaigns have produced 40 matches, 11 victories, six draws and 23 defeats. Their quarterfinal run in 2007-08 remains the high point.
