Yıldırım, Safi face off in Fenerbahçe leadership race
Former Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım.
Fenerbahçe members are set to choose a new president this weekend in an extraordinary congress that has become one of the most closely watched elections in the club’s history, with former chairman Aziz Yıldırım facing businessman Hakan Safi after the withdrawal of other contenders.
The election will be held on June 6-7, following the resignation of club chair Sadettin Saran, who announced he would step down earlier this year. The extraordinary congress comes as the Istanbul club seeks to end a 13-year Turkish league title drought and reset its sporting direction ahead of its 120th anniversary season.
Yıldırım, who led Fenerbahçe from 1998 to 2018, formally announced his candidacy in May, portraying his return bid as an effort to restore stability and unite the club. He has highlighted his experience and past success during his two decades in charge, a period that included multiple domestic titles.
