Former Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım stole the show at the club’s High Divan Council meeting Saturday, ending weeks of speculation by declaring he will not run in the upcoming presidential elections and then igniting a fiery debate over the club’s finances, management, and identity.
The gathering, held at the Faruk Ilgaz Facilities in Kalamış, brought together heavyweights from the Fenerbahçe world, including current president Ali Koç, former rivals Sadettin Saran and Hakan Bilal Kutlualp, and financial chief Hamdi Akın.
But it was Yıldırım’s speech – equal parts farewell, warning, and rebuke – that dominated the day.
“Relax, I’m not running. If I were, I’d say so here,” Yıldırım told Koç directly, silencing the rumor mill that had churned since mid-July when fan accounts hinted at a possible comeback bid if enough signatures were gathered.
Instead, Yıldırım made a pointed call for generational change, urging younger members to take ownership of the club. “It shouldn’t be about Aziz Yıldırım or Ali Koç anymore,” he said. “Those who say, ‘As long as I’m here, Fenerbahçe can’t win,’ shouldn’t run.”
Yet his retreat from the ballot did not mean retreat from battle.
Yıldırım launched a fierce defense of his 20-year tenure, particularly the financial state he left in 2018.
He blasted claims that he left the club 612 million ($713.5 million) in debt. “If I left that much, I’m dishonorable – and those who say it are too,” he shouted, calling for a transparent financial audit.
He estimated the club’s current debt at nearly TL 25 billion (about $714 million), and tore into the Bankalar Birliği (Banking Association) agreement signed under Koç’s leadership – an arrangement he said has cost Fenerbahçe over TL 3 billion in interest and repayments in the last two years.
He urged the club to sell key assets if necessary and exit what he called a financially “crippling” deal.
In response, Vice President Hamdi Akın fired back.
He clarified that the 612 million euros figure had been misrepresented – the actual debt in 2018 included $265 million in bank loans and $347 million in other obligations.
"Today, that total sits at just $69 million, largely due to repayments and favorable currency shifts," Akın said.
Yıldırım’s temper flared as he accused Akın of betraying the club during the infamous 3 July 2011 match-fixing scandal, even shouting, “Sit down, Hamdi! I’ll make you regret this!” The tension forced Divan president Şekip Mosturoğlu to briefly recess the meeting.
A long-simmering sore point – Yıldırım being denied a VIP box (loca) at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium since 2018 – surfaced once more.
Akın claimed there simply were none available. But Koç offered a peace gesture, offering his personal box to Yıldırım.
The moment sparked a symbolic reconciliation: Yıldırım walked up, embraced Koç, and shook his hand. A rare image of unity, soon confirmed with reports that Koç had arranged a loca for Yıldırım.
Despite the olive branch, Yıldırım remained critical of the club’s direction.
He voiced alarm over Fenerbahçe’s competitive slide, particularly in contrast to archrivals Galatasaray, who now lead by six championships since Fener’s last title in 2014.
He painted a sobering picture with a personal anecdote: a child requesting a Fenerbahçe jersey with “45” and “Osimhen” – the number and name of Galatasaray’s Nigerian star striker. “We’re 10 years behind,” he said. “Kids aren’t choosing Fenerbahçe anymore.”
He also demanded transparency on major deals, including the Adidas sponsorship, and criticized the administration for not presenting a financial audit at the meeting – a first, he claimed, in decades.
Koç, while acknowledging Yıldırım’s immense legacy, called on him to evolve beyond a mentality of “I am Fenerbahçe.”
He cited a landmark sponsorship with Chobani for stadium naming rights and jersey deals – 5+5 years for the stadium, 2+3 for European kits – as signs of modern progress.
He also teased two upcoming signings ahead of the crucial Champions League qualifier against Feyenoord, though he withheld names pending finalization.
Yıldırım warned that the September election is ill-timed and could destabilize the club. His decision not to run clears a path for others, but the road ahead is steep.
He urged deeper member participation and lamented the lack of opposition voices beyond himself. “Everyone waits for me to speak,” he said. “You can’t run a club from Twitter.”
In a moment of reflection, he reminded the room of his imprisonment during the match-fixing scandal: “I went to jail for this club. Everything I did was for Fenerbahçe.”
Koç responded in kind, recalling the emotional toll of his presidency. “Fenerbahçe made me cry twice – once in joy in İzmir, once in sorrow on July 3,” he said. “But we’ve become a more transparent and corporate club. We won’t go back.”
