Şükrü Saracoğlu

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Lore & Background

Before the modern stadium was built, the field was known as Papazın Çayırı (lit. 'the priest's meadow'). It became one of the earliest association football pitches in Turkey, hosting some of the first league games of the Istanbul Football League, though the league began in 1904-05 and matches were played at various fields. Until the Young Turks proclaimed the 2nd Constitutional Era in 1908, this green area had long been part of the Sultan's private estate. That same year, a group of passionate sportsmen led by Nurizade Ziya Songülen (the founder and first president of Fenerbahçe) and Cemil Topuzlu (then the physician to Abdul Hamid II) launched an initiative to secure land in Istanbul dedicated to football activities. In 1908, the land was reportedly leased from Sultan Abdul Hamid II, though the exact lease terms—including the claimed 30 Ottoman gold pounds a year—are disputed in historical records. The stadium was initially named 'Union Club Field' by a group of sports enthusiasts led by Ziya Songülen and Cemil Topuzlu, with involvement from Reji Whittall, a prominent figure in the Union Club (though not a founder of Fenerbahçe). The name was derived from the 'Union Club', an organization which functioned as the football federation of that era. The Union Club Field was used by many teams in Istanbul, including Union Club, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş. It lost its importance when a bigger venue, the Taksim Stadium, was built in 1922. İttihatspor was forced to sell it to the state, in which Şükrü Saracoğlu was a member of the CHP government. The ownership passed to the state, but the field was immediately leased to Fenerbahçe. On 27 May 1933, Fenerbahçe purchased the stadium from the government when Şükrü Saracoğlu was the President of Fenerbahçe, for the historically recorded amount of ₺9,000—not the symbolic ₺1 often cited in myths. The name was changed to Fenerbahçe Stadium, making Fenerbahçe SK the first football club in Turkey to own their stadium. By 1949, Fenerbahçe Stadium was the largest football venue in Turkey, with a seating capacity of 25,000. The field was closed to matches in 1964 and demolished in 1965. After 18 years of construction, it officially opened for service on September 19, 1982, with the Fenerbahçe-Altay match. The name changed once more on 22 July 1998, becoming Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. In 1999, the latest round

In Their Own Story

The stadium was inaugurated on 17 September 1908. It was renovated between 1929 and 1932, 1965 and 1982, and finally 1999 and 2006. On 4 October 2006, after numerous inspections by UEFA, the stadium was selected to host the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, coinciding with the 101st anniversary of its opening. That final went down in history as the last Final of the UEFA Cup football tournament, which was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League starting from the 2009–10 season. A number of artworks are placed in front of the stadium: a bust of Atatürk, a statue of Lefter Küçükandonyadis, a statue of Can Bartu, a statue of Alex, and a statue of Eda Erdem.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is known for sponsorship reasons as Chobani Stadium Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Sports Complex or simply Chobani Stadium. It is one of the highest capacity stadiums in Turkey. The stadium has undergone multiple renovations: between 1929 and 1932, between 1965 and 1982, and finally between 1999 and 2006. The naming rights history includes Ülker from 3 August 2015 in a 10-year deal worth $90 million, and Chobani from 30 July 2025 for 5+5 seasons at €10 million per season. The stadium's history began as Papazın Çayırı, then Union Club Field, then Fenerbahçe Stadium, and finally Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium since 22 July 1998.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was originally called 'Union Club Field' and was named after an organization that functioned as the football federation of that era.
• Fenerbahçe purchased the stadium from the government on 27 May 1933 for either the symbolic amount of ₺1 or ₺9,000, making it the first Turkish football club to own their stadium.
• The stadium hosted the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, which was the last final of the UEFA Cup before it was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League.
• The field was originally known as Papazın Çayırı (the priest's meadow) and was part of the Sultan's private estate until 1908.
• Chobani secured naming rights on 30 July 2025 for 5+5 seasons at €10 million per season, starting from the 2025–26 season.