Fenerbahce seeks to end 15-year absence from Champions League
Fenerbahce's Irfan Can Kahveci celebrates after his score against Lille with the famous shooting pose of Turkish Olympic silver medalist shooter Yusuf Dikec during UEFA Champions League 3rd qualifying match, France, August 6, 2024. (AA Photo)
Fenerbahce will host France’s Lille in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, following a 2-1 defeat in the first match. The Yellow Canaries have not participated in Europe’s top club competition for 15 seasons.
The last time Fenerbahce featured in the Champions League was in the 2008-2009 season. To reach the group stage this season, they must overcome two more opponents.
Fenerbahce first appeared in the Champions League in the 1996-97 season. They have since played in the group stages in the 2001-02, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons.
However, Fenerbahce failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds in the 2002-03, 2006-07, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2022-23 seasons.
Despite securing direct qualification to the Champions League in the 2011-12 season, a match-fixing investigation barred Fenerbahce from participating.
Following their playoff elimination in the 2013-14 season, Fenerbahce received a two-year ban from European competitions by UEFA. As a result, despite winning the Turkish Super Lig in 2013-14, they were unable to participate in the 2014-15 Champions League.
2 matches away from group stage
If Fenerbahce overcomes Lille, they will be just two matches away from ending their Champions League drought.
Under the guidance of coach Jose Mourinho, Fenerbahce began their Champions League campaign in the second qualifying round, where they defeated Switzerland’s Lugano.
Should they beat Lille and then triumph over the winner of the Slavia Prague-Union Saint-Gilloise tie in the playoffs, Fenerbahce will qualify for the Champions League group stage for the first time in 15 seasons.
8 failed attempts in qualifying rounds
Fenerbahce has already lost eight times in the qualifying rounds.
The Netherlands’ Feyenoord defeated them in their first attempt at qualification in the 2002–2003 season, losing 1-0 away and 2-0 at home.
Fenerbahce defeated Torshavn of the Faroe Islands 4-0 at home and 5-0 away in the second qualifying round of the 2006–07 season, but Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv eliminated them in the third round following a 3-1 away loss and a 2-2 draw at home.
Fenerbahce had a disappointing start to the 2010-11 season, failing to overcome Switzerland’s Young Boys in the third qualifying round. After a 2-2 draw away, they lost 1-0 at home, missing out on the Champions League.
Fenerbahce qualified for the Champions League in the third qualifying round of the 2012-13 season, defeating Romania’s Vaslui before losing to Russia’s Spartak Moscow in the playoffs (2-1 away, 1-1 home).
Fenerbahce defeated Austria’s Salzburg in the third qualifying round of the 2013–14 season, but England’s Arsenal eliminated them in the playoffs after losing 3-0 at home and 2-0 away.
In the 2015-16 season, Fenerbahce faced Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round, drawing 0-0 at home before losing 3-0 away.
Fenerbahce faced Portugal’s Benfica in the third qualifying round of the 2018–19 season, losing 1-0 away and drawing 1-1 at home as they continued their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League.
Most recently, in the 2022-23 season under coach Jorge Jesus, Fenerbahce faced Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv in the second qualifying round. After a 0-0 draw away, they lost 2-1 at home, marking their eighth failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Denied entry twice despite winning Turkish Super Lig
Despite winning the Turkish Super Lig, Fenerbahce was unable to participate in the Champions League on two occasions due to UEFA sanctions.
Fenerbahce qualified directly for the Champions League after winning the 2010–11 Turkish Super Lig, but a match-fixing investigation resulted in their ban from European competition.
Following their elimination in the 2013-14 playoff round, Fenerbahce received a two-year ban from European competitions. Despite winning the Turkish Super Lig that season, they were unable to participate in the 2014-15 Champions League.
6 appearances in Champions League
Fenerbahce first appeared in the Champions League in the 1996-97 season. They later competed in the group stages in the 2001-02, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons.
In total, Fenerbahce has played 40 matches in the Champions League, securing 11 wins.
They have drawn six times and suffered 23 losses in Europe’s premier club competition.
Best achievement: Quarterfinal
Fenerbahce’s best performance in the Champions League came in the 2007-08 season when they reached the quarterfinals.
Fenerbahce had one of their most successful seasons in European competitions under Brazilian coach Arthur Zico, but Chelsea eliminated them and prevented them from reaching the semifinals.
| Season | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals scored | Goals conceded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2001-02 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| 2004-05 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| 2005-06 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| 2007-08 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 14 |
| 2008-09 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Total | 40 | 11 | 6 | 23 | 42 | 70 |
