Aziz Yildirim
Encyclopedia
Aziz Yıldırım is currently the 52nd chairman of the Turkish
multi sport club Fenerbahçe. He is currently serving his fifth two-year term since coming to helm. He has a degree in civil engineering
.
and Düzcespor
. He retired from professional football at the age of 27 in 1979 and started a construction business. For two years, he acted as chairman at Anadolu Üsküdar football club during 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons. He resumed his career in football administration in 1990 when he became Director of Football
at Fenerbahçe in the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. Afterwards, he took up the post of chairman at Düzcespor
between 1993–1995. He became Fenerbahçe's chairman in 1998 after Ali Şen
's resignation – a position he still holds. During his reign, the professional football team had four Turkish League Championships.
Under his leadership, significant changes have been made in the club's infrastructure: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
was expanded to a capacity of 55,000 from 30,000. Another significant mark of his success was evident in the 2006–07 season when over 100,000 Fenerbahçe membership cards were sold. The stadium's modern outlook gave the city of Istanbul
the right to host UEFA Cup
championship in 2009. Moreover, the club's financial portfolio changed dramatically under his leadership. Before 1998, a significant portion of the club's revenues came from media deals. By building a modern stadium and utilizing the vast potential of the millions of Fenerbahçe fans, he decreased this percentage down to about 40%.
Spanish daily tabloid AS
wrote that his career resembled that of Florentino Perez
.
On 3rd July 2011 Yıldırım was taken into custody over allegations of several cases of player manipulation. A week later he was arrested over allegations of match-fixing as part of wider-raging investigations into corruption in Turkish football although the formal criminal charges still have not been prepared.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
multi sport club Fenerbahçe. He is currently serving his fifth two-year term since coming to helm. He has a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
.
Career
Yıldırım was a professional football player with DiyarbakırsporDiyarbakirspor
Diyarbakırspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Diyarbakır. Formed in 1968, Diyarbakırspor are nicknamed Diyar...
and Düzcespor
Düzcespor
Düzcespor is a Turkish football club located in Düzce, Turkey. They play their home games at 18 Temmuz Stadı in Duzce.-League Participations:Second Level: 1968-1970, 1977-1989, 1994-1998, 1999-2001Third Level: 1967-1968, 1970-1977, 1989-1994, 1998-1999...
. He retired from professional football at the age of 27 in 1979 and started a construction business. For two years, he acted as chairman at Anadolu Üsküdar football club during 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons. He resumed his career in football administration in 1990 when he became Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Fenerbahçe in the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. Afterwards, he took up the post of chairman at Düzcespor
Düzcespor
Düzcespor is a Turkish football club located in Düzce, Turkey. They play their home games at 18 Temmuz Stadı in Duzce.-League Participations:Second Level: 1968-1970, 1977-1989, 1994-1998, 1999-2001Third Level: 1967-1968, 1970-1977, 1989-1994, 1998-1999...
between 1993–1995. He became Fenerbahçe's chairman in 1998 after Ali Şen
Ali Haydar Sen
Ali Haydar Şen is an ex-president of the Fenerbahçe S.K..- Biography :He worked as a journalist for a short time, before he first came to Fenerbahçe in 1975, when he was made head of the club's basketball branch...
's resignation – a position he still holds. During his reign, the professional football team had four Turkish League Championships.
Under his leadership, significant changes have been made in the club's infrastructure: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium
Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium is a football stadium in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey, and is the home venue of Fenerbahçe S.K.. It was inaugurated in 1908 and renovated between 1999 and 2006...
was expanded to a capacity of 55,000 from 30,000. Another significant mark of his success was evident in the 2006–07 season when over 100,000 Fenerbahçe membership cards were sold. The stadium's modern outlook gave the city of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
the right to host UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
championship in 2009. Moreover, the club's financial portfolio changed dramatically under his leadership. Before 1998, a significant portion of the club's revenues came from media deals. By building a modern stadium and utilizing the vast potential of the millions of Fenerbahçe fans, he decreased this percentage down to about 40%.
Spanish daily tabloid AS
Diario AS
Diario AS is a Spanish daily sports newspaper, concentrating particularly on football.It particularly covers news of the principal Madrid football teams, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, in which it competes directly with MARCA....
wrote that his career resembled that of Florentino Perez
Florentino Pérez
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez is a Spanish businessman, civil engineer, former politician, and current president of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, as well as ACS...
.
On 3rd July 2011 Yıldırım was taken into custody over allegations of several cases of player manipulation. A week later he was arrested over allegations of match-fixing as part of wider-raging investigations into corruption in Turkish football although the formal criminal charges still have not been prepared.
Titles won by Fenerbahçe while president
- Football
- Süper Lig (5): 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010-11
- Süper KupaTurkish Super CupThe TFF Süper Kupa, as it is currently known, is the annual super cup football match contested between the previous season's Süper Lig champions and the Turkish Cup winners in Turkey. It was originally known as the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası from 1966 to 1998. No competition was held between 1999 and...
(2): 2007, 2009 - Chancellor CupChancellor CupThe Chancellor Cup is a defunct football competition in Turkey. It began in 1944 as a match between the winner of the Amateur Leagues and Milli Küme . It ran as a Milli Küme tournament until 1966....
: 1997–98
- Men's BasketballFenerbahçe ÜlkerFenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...
- Turkish Basketball LeagueTurkish Basketball LeagueThe Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
(4):2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010-11 - Turkish Cup: 2009–10, 2010-11
- President Cup: 2006–07
- Turkish Basketball League
- Women's Basketball
- Turkish Women's Basketball LeagueTurkish Women's Basketball LeagueThe Turkish Women’s Basketball League is the top women’s professional basketball league in Turkey organized by the Turkish Basketball Federation. The women’s league started in 1980...
(9): 1998–99, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010-11 - Turkish Cup (9): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- President Cup (6): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010-11
- Turkish Women's Basketball League
- Fenerbahçe Men's VolleyballFenerbahçe Men's VolleyballFenerbahçe Grundig is the men's volleyball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major sports club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The senior team's name sponsor is Grundig....
- BVA Cup: 2009-10
- Turkish Men's Volleyball LeagueTurkish Men's Volleyball LeagueThe Turkish Men's Volleyball League , is the highest professional men's volleyball league in Turkey. It is run by the Turkish Volleyball Federation...
(3): 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010-11 - Turkish Cup: 2007–08
- Women's Volleyball
- FIVB Club World Championship: 2010
- Women's CEV Champions LeagueWomen's CEV Champions LeagueThe Women's CEV Champions League or Women's Indesit European Champions League is the top official competition for women's volleyball clubs of Europe and takes place every year.- Formula :...
- Runner-up: 2009-10
- Turkish Women's Volleyball LeagueTurkish Women's Volleyball LeagueThe Turkish Women's Volleyball League , is the highest professional women's volleyball league in Turkey. It is run by the Turkish Volleyball Federation...
(3): 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 - Turkish Cup: 2009-10
- Turkish Super Cup (2): 2009, 2010
- AthleticsFenerbahçe AthleticsFenerbahçe Athletics is the men's and women's athletics section of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.Fenerbahçe Athletics use Dereağzı Facilities.-Technical staff:-Men's squad:* Oğuz Akça* Halil Akkaş* Caner Alagöz...
- European Champion Clubs' Cup (Men's)
- Winner : 1998 (Group C)
- Runner-up: 2006 (Group B)
- European Champion Clubs' Cup (Women's)
- Runner-up: 1998 (Group B)
- European Champion Clubs' Cup (Men's)
- BoxingFenerbahçe BoxingFenerbahçe Boxing is the men's and women's boxing section of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. Fenerbahçe Boxers use Dereağzı Facilities...
- European Champions CupEuropean Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsThe European Amateur Boxing Championships is the highest competition for boxing amateurs in Europe, organised by the continent's governing body EUBC, which stands for the European Boxing Confederation...
- Runner-up: 1999
- European Champions Cup
- SwimmingFenerbahçe SwimmingFenerbahçe Swimming is the men's and women's swimming section of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.Fenerbahçe Swimmers use Dereağzı Facilities.-Technical and Managerial Staff:-Current squad:*Serkan Atasay*Volkan Atakan...
- CIJ Meet Cup: 2004, 2005
- Table TennisFenerbahçe Table TennisFenerbahçe Table Tennis is the men's and women's table tennis section of Fenerbahçe S.K.,a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.Fenerbahçe Table Tennis Players use Dereağzı Facilities...
- ETTU CupETTU CupThe ETTU Cup is the second largest tournament for clubs in European table tennis, after the European Champions League. The European Table Tennis Union has organized this cup since the 1964-65 season for men and teams, and also for women a year later....
- Runner-up: 2007-08
- ETTU Cup