Hell's Kitchen

When there is passion, there is rivalry; where there’s rivalry, there is hatred, and where there is hatred, there is violence.

Welcome to Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey is divided by two continents. It is a country where the culture is so strong and based on honour, that people are prepared to fight for it. It is also home to some of the world's most fanatical football supporters.

In the wake of a collapsing economy, receding jobs, and hardship, Turkish people have taken to football almost as their religion.

Istanbul (and Turkey) is separated by the Bosphorous Strait, leaving a small portion of the country in Europe, and the rest in Asia. The city is famous for the bazaars, Turkish baths, kebabs and even knives! These easily accessible knives have groomed the city’s violent knife culture.

Moving back to football, the country’s reputation on the pitch is on the rise after their success in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008. However, matters off the pitch have taken a deadly turn due to the ultras, and the fierce Kıtalar Arası Derbi (Intercontinental Derby), played between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are Turkey’s two biggest clubs and are both located in Istanbul. Although the city extends on both sides of the strait and hence unites Europe and Asia, football divides the city. Galatasaray is at the European end of the Bosphorous strait, while Fenerbahce is on the Asian side.

The roots of the hatred between both sets of fans go deep into the clubs’ history. Galatasaray was formed by the students of the Galatasaray Lycée, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in Turkey. Most of the students came from wealthy families and were given world-class education, with classes being held in French. Football came to these students because of their link with the west. Fener on the other hand was formed in the not-so-affluent district of Kadikoy by not-so-wealthy footballers, who decided to form their own football club.

Fenerbahce regarded themselves as the people’s team and were established in secrecy a couple of years after Gala, as Ottoman rulers had forbidden Turkish youth from playing football due to its western roots.

 

The first ever derby was played in 1909, and 367 derbies in all competitions have followed since. Fenerbahce has enjoyed more success domestically, having won one title more than their arch-rivals, but Galatasaray has 2 European trophies to rub in the noses of Fenerbahce fans.

But let’s keep stats aside. When talking about one of the world’s fiercest football rivalries, stats barely have any meaning.

Both these clubs have their own ‘firms’. Although hooliganism in Turkey is not as organised as in the rest of the Europe, it is one of the deadliest nevertheless. The most prominent firm of Fenerbahce is KFY (Kill For You), and that of Galatasaray is UltrAslan.

Apart from fighting other fans, these firms also take as much pride in fighting the police. As a result, police security on derby days is huge, with thousands of security personnel deployed in and around the stadium.

In a title-decider in 2001, stones were being thrown from the terraces to and fro both sections of fans. One fan was hit on the head, leaving him with a fractured skull. There were so many injuries that doctors in the stadium ran out of needles, and many injured fans had to watch the game in the stands without any treatment. The police refused to allow them to leave, fearing rioting outside the stadium.

Fenerbahce fans celebrated the title, went home, and were treated by doctors in their own territory.

Zico, while managing Fenerbahce in 2006, once said, “You get the feeling that there are two championships here. One, the actual league, and two, the matches against Galatasaray. It is one of the biggest derbies I’ve seen in my career.”

Speaking of managers, the infamous ‘Graeme Souness incident’ certainly added fuel to the fire.

Souness was managing Galatasaray in 1996, and his team were up against favourites Fenerbahçe in the 

Turkish Cup final. It was a two-legged cup tie, with Galatasaray winning 1-0 at home in the first leg, then claiming the cup with a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. During the post-match celebrations on the pitch, Souness decided to express his elation by taking a huge Galatasaray flag and planting it right in the middle of the Fenerbahçe pitch.

A member of KFY named Volkan jumped over the turnstiles and ran towards Souness in rage, but was restrained by police dogs. Souness had to take cover behind the police and rush into the tunnel. That being his only season in Turkey, it left Fener fans with a feeling of pure hatred for the former Liverpool and Rangers star. The Gala faithful, on the other hand, nicknamed him ‘Ulubatlı Souness’ after the heroic Turkish martyr. In one moment, he had become an abhorred villain, and an adored hero.

A couple of years later, one Fener fan nicknamed "RAMBO", decided to exact revenge.

On the eve of the opening day of the season, he managed to sneak into the Galatasaray stadium, hide behind the advertising hoardings throughout the night with a big Turkish sword and a Fenerbahce flag. 

At the time of kick off, he tore the hoarding, ran to the centre of the pitch, planted the Fenerbahce flag and pointed his blade towards Galatasaray players, warning them not to come near it.

Galatasaray, on the other hand, have taken the violence onto a different level, with English teams and their fans at the receiving end of their intimidation.

The trouble started with Manchester United’s trip to Galatasaray for a European Cup tie in 1993. Over 170 fans were arrested for riots even before the game had started. Chelsea arrived in 1999, and were welcomed at the airport by Gala supporters with lit flares, shouting, “No way out! No way out!” When United again visited Galatasaray, the fans were ready, and there was a huge banner unfurled saying “Your Nightmare is Back Again”, while a graffiti read, “Welcome to HELL”.

When Leeds United travelled to Istanbul for their UEFA Cup tie, fans of both teams clashed in Taksim Square, heart of the Galatasaray area, and two Leeds fans were incredibly stabbed to death.

It prompted a huge campaign against Turkish hooliganism, and the media called for Galatasaray to be banned from European football. Those calls were ignored and Galatasaray went on to win the UEFA Cup, beating Arsenal in the final.

UltrAslan members are not just ordinary fans; they are warriors who are prepared to do whatever it takes to emerge winners in a confrontation of any kind. The organization has fans and followers all over the world, and has gone on to become a big brand. In fact, they have sold more tops and scarves than the club have sold team shirts in recent times!

When Galatasaray were in debt, it was UltrAslan, who poured in over $4 Million to save the club from going bankrupt.

In 2007, league-winners Fenerbahce came to play the penultimate match of the season at Galatasaray. The media heated the atmosphere before the game by raising the question as to whether Galatasaray should give the “Guard of Honour” to the newly-crowned champions. As the teams settled matters on the pitch, the fans settled it their own way in the stands and on the streets before and after the game, making it most disruptive derby game ever played between the two clubs. Over 12,000 seats in the stadium were ripped, and the police, working overnight to maintain order, had to make over 50 arrests.

In March 2011, a large glass bottle was also thrown on to the field during a derby game. In the same match, Galatasaray broke the Guinness Book’s “Loudest Crowd Roar at a Sports Stadium” record with the help of its fans, clocking a staggering 131.76 dBA. It was even more memorable as it was the first derby taking place at Galatasaray’s new stadium, Türk Telekom Arena.

Turkish football administrators eventually had to take rapid strides to stop this madness. In April 2011, the Turkish parliament approved legislation aimed at eradicating the hooliganism that currently blights the country's football matches. It has introduced sentences up to six years in prison for fans who dismantle seats, two years in prison for fans who make racial slurs and obscenities in or around stadiums, and one-year prison terms for spectators who attempt to bring guns, sharp objects, or flares to sports events.

With the new legislation, fans can only purchase electronic tickets using government ID numbers, making it easier to track and punish troublemakers. Fans deemed to be drunk or under the influence of drugs are refused entry to events, while anyone involved in hooliganism will be barred from all competitions for a year.

Fenerbahce decided to tackle this issue more drastically. The Istanbul side was initially told to play two home matches behind closed doors after fans invaded the pitch during a game against Shakhtar Donetsk. But later, the Turkish authorities softened their stance and decided to let women and children attend. Incredibly, more than 41,000 women and children attended Fener’s match against Manisaspor. The players responded to the huge fan turnout by throwing flowers at the fans, while the visiting team was greeted with applause, rather than by bottles being thrown at them!

If you are looking for the power of the 12^th man, Istanbul is the place. In the next edition of the Intercontinental Derby, Fenerbahce host Galatasaray at the end of the March, with just three more matches in the season after that. One glance at the league table says that this one could be a championship decider. Expect nothing else, but all hell to break loose.

Till then, Peace!

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The above article has been published in India's first and finest football magazine "90 Minutes"