18.08.2026 17:01
Fenerbahce, who will host France's Olympique Lyon today in the first match of the UEFA Champions League playoff round, has not participated in the league and group stages of Europe's number one cup for 17 seasons. Fenerbahce has achieved 11 victories in 40 matches in the UEFA Champions League organization, in which they have participated 6 times. The yellow-navy team has achieved its most significant success in the UEFA Champions League to date by playing in the quarter-finals in the 2007-08 season.
Fenerbahce, which will host Olympique Lyon today in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, is one step away from the Champions League, a competition it has been unable to qualify for for 17 seasons.
FENERBAHCE 180 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE LEAGUE OF GIANTS
The yellow-navy team, which last reached the league stage of Europe's biggest club organization in the 2008-09 season, must eliminate the French team from the organization to appear in the Champions League. Ismail Kartal's students, who will seek an advantage in tonight's match, aim to advance past the round in the return match to be played in Lyon, France, on August 26 and compete in the UEFA Champions League after 17 seasons.
Fenerbahce, which first participated in the organization in the 1996-97 season, also qualified for the group and league stages in the 2001-02, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons. Although the Istanbul representative earned the right to directly participate in the UEFA Champions League in the 2011-12 season, it could not go to Europe due to the 'match-fixing investigation'.
After being eliminated in the play-off round at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Fenerbahce received a '2-year ban from European cups' from UEFA. Despite finishing the 2013-14 season as champions in the Super League, the yellow-navy team could not take part in the organization due to this penalty.
ELIMINATED IN THE PLAY-OFF LAST SEASON
In the past season, Fenerbahce, under the management of world-renowned coach Jose Mourinho, was eliminated from the Champions League at the play-off stage.
Having managed to get past the Netherlands' Feyenoord in the 3rd qualifying round of the organization under the leadership of the Portuguese coach, Fenerbahce was eliminated by Benfica before the league stage, thus failing to participate in the tournament and unable to end its longing.
FAILED TO GET PAST THE QUALIFIERS 11 TIMES
Fenerbahce has previously been kept away from the 'League of Giants' goal 11 times in the qualifiers.
The yellow-navy team, which first played in the qualifiers for Europe's number one cup in the 2002-03 season, failed to get past the Netherlands' Feyenoord. The yellow-navy team succumbed to its rival in the 3rd qualifying round with defeats of 1-0 and 2-0.
In the 2006-07 season, Fenerbahce passed the Faroe Islands' Torshavn team with 4-0 at home and 5-0 away in the 2nd qualifying round of this path, and then matched with Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv in the 3rd qualifying round. The yellow-navy team, which lost 3-1 away to its rival, drew 2-2 at home, and the Ukrainian team advanced past the round.
Fenerbahce, which had a bad start to the 2010-11 season it completed as champions, failed to get past Switzerland's Young Boys in the 3rd qualifying round. The yellow-navy team, which drew 2-2 away in the first match, lost the home match 1-0 and lost its Champions League chance.
Participating in the 'League of Giants' from the 3rd qualifying round in the 2012-13 season, Fenerbahce eliminated Romania's Vaslui and advanced to the play-off. The yellow-navy team, matched with Russia's Spartak Moscow, lost 2-1 away and drew 1-1 in Istanbul, continuing its path in Europe in the UEFA Europa League.
Fenerbahce also joined the Champions League qualifiers from the 3rd round in the 2013-14 season, eliminating Austria's Salzburg to qualify for the play-off stage. Matching with England's Arsenal, Fenerbahce lost to its rival with scores of 3-0 at home and 2-0 away.
In the 2015-16 season, Fenerbahce was matched with Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in the 3rd qualifying round, drawing 0-0 at home and losing 3-0 away to its rival, being eliminated.
The yellow-navy team faced France's Monaco in the 3rd qualifying round in the 2016-17 season. Fenerbahce won the first match 2-1 at home but succumbed to its rival 3-1 away.
Fenerbahce was matched with Portugal's Benfica in the 3rd qualifying round in the 2018-19 season. Losing 1-0 away and drawing 1-1 at home against its rival, the yellow-navy team continued its path in the UEFA Europa League.
Under coach Jorge Jesus, Fenerbahce drew 0-0 away against Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv in the 2nd qualifying round in the 2022-23 season but lost 2-1 at home to its rival, failing to qualify for Europe's biggest organization.
In the 2024-2025 season, under Jose Mourinho, Fenerbahce got past Switzerland's Lugano with 4-3 away and 2-1 at home in the 2nd qualifying round, earning a spot in the 3rd qualifying round. In this round, the yellow-navy team faced France's Lille. The Istanbul representative, which lost the first match 2-1 away, took the match at Kadikoy to extra time with a 1-0 score. Drawing 1-1 with its rival in the extra time of the return match, Fenerbahce failed to reach its goal.
Last season, the yellow-navy team, again under Mourinho, eliminated Feyenoord in the 3rd qualifying round and qualified for the play-off round. Matched with Benfica in this round, Fenerbahce drew 0-0 at home and lost 1-0 away, failing to qualify for the organization from the qualifiers for the 11th time.
COULD NOT PARTICIPATE AFTER TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS DUE TO UEFA DECISION
Fenerbahce could not appear in the Champions League after the 2 seasons it became champions in the Super League due to a UEFA decision. Having completed the 2010-11 season as champions in the Super League, the yellow-navy team could not go to Europe due to the 'match-fixing investigation' despite earning the right to directly participate in the UEFA Champions League.
Immediately after being eliminated in the play-off round at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Fenerbahce received a '2-year ban from European cups' from UEFA. Due to this penalty, even though the yellow-navy team was the Super League champion that season, it could not participate in the Champions League in 2014-15.
PARTICIPATED IN THE LEAGUE OF GIANTS 6 TIMES
Fenerbahce, which first participated in the UEFA Champions League in the 1996-97 season, later competed in the group stage in the 2001-02, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons, respectively. In the 40 matches across the 6 times it previously participated in the UEFA Champions League, Fenerbahce achieved 11 victories. Drawing 6 times in the seasons it participated in Europe's number one cup, the yellow-navy team lost 23 matches.
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: QUARTER FINALS
Fenerbahce achieved its biggest success in the UEFA Champions League to date by reaching the quarter finals in the 2007-08 season. Rising to the quarter finals under the management of Brazilian head coach Arthur Zico, Fenerbahce also experienced its most successful season in the history of European cups. The yellow-navy team was eliminated by England's Chelsea in that season, just missing out on the semi finals.