Ali Koc, a well-known Turkish businessman, was elected as the new president of Turkey’s football giant Fenerbahce, taking the crown from Aziz Yildirim, who has run the club since 1998.
The 51-year-old Koc defeated the club’s longest serving figure Yildirim by receiving over 16,000 of more than 20,000 valid votes cast during the club’s general congress on Sunday at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Yildirim has gained only 4,644 of the votes. Koc will serve as the 37th president of the club.
Having served as a Fenerbahce board member, Koc has held the vice presidency of the executive board of Koc Holding, a prominent Turkish conglomerate, since February 2016.
Addressing the crowd after his victory, Koc said he had achieved this success through the support of millions of people.
“I always believe whoever wins, he will win by a landslide,” Koc said, adding that he would work to make the dreams of all Fenerbahce fans come true.
In more than 100 years of existence, Fenerbahce has won 19 Turkish Super Lig titles, six of which came during the Yildirim era.
Fenerbahce’s men’s basketball team was crowned Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions in May 2017 to become the first ever Turkish club to lift that trophy.
During the Yildirim era, Fenerbahce has enlarged and modernized its stadium, Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium — also known as Ulker Stadium for sponsorship reasons.
The renovation of the stadium, which boasts a 50,530-seat capacity, was completed in April 2006. The stadium hosted the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, the last under that name. It was rebranded as UEFA Europa League.
However, Yildirim’s stint as club chairman was marred by a match fixing scandal which led to the club’s suspension from the European tournaments.
European football’s governing body UEFA barred Fenerbahce from European tournaments for two seasons as a result of its investigation in 2013.
Turkey’s match fixing scandal broke out after the 2010-11 season of the Spor Toto Super Lig, which saw Fenerbahce win the title.
Several important football figures — chairmen, players and board members — were taken into custody over match fixing and bribery after a legal action was launched in July 2011.
That month, Yildirim was jailed for forming an illegal organization and his involvement in match fixing in Turkish football’s top division. He was sentenced to six years and three months, of which he served a year.
In June 2014, Aziz Yildirim’s jail term was suspended and a retrial was ordered. Yildirim was acquitted of all charges by an Istanbul court on Oct. 9, 2015.
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