10.09.2025 18:40
Sadettin Saran, who is a candidate for president at the Extraordinary General Assembly of Fenerbahçe to be held on September 20-21, announced his projects at a press conference. Speaking about Fenerbahçe's debt, Saran stated, "Fenerbahçe has a debt of 21.5 billion TL."
Sadettin Saran, who is a candidate for the presidency at the Extraordinary Elective General Assembly of Fenerbahçe to be held on September 20-21, announced his projects at a press conference held at the Turkey Sports Writers Association (TSYD) building in Levent.
'I WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE IF WE DON'T WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1.5 YEARS' Emphasizing that their priority is to win championships in football, Sadettin Saran stated, "The upcoming congress is not just an election. It is a strategic decision for the future of Fenerbahçe. The main issue for us is how we will implement what has not been done in the last 11 years. As a presidential candidate, if we do not win a championship within 1.5 years, I will not run again. Fenerbahçe fans are tired of unfulfilled promises. Our priority is winning championships in football," he said.
In response to a question about whether there are any obstacles to his candidacy, Saran said:
"If there were such a possibility, would I run? My friends and I have made the necessary applications. There are few who know FIFA and UEFA as well as I do. We have been working with them for 30 years. There is no reason for the Ministry of Sports not to accept our revolution. There are those who try to stir things up. Fear does not help against death. My priority in life has always been my family. After that, my work and Fenerbahçe. From now on, my second priority is Fenerbahçe. I will give up my company that I built with my own hands 35 years ago. Fenerbahçe will not be harmed. They are trying to create chaos. Rest assured."
'WE DO NOT SHY AWAY FROM EXCUSES' Sadettin Saran, who stated that they will form a team that will fight back, said, "I am a former athlete. I know how to fight. There are external and internal factors here. It is wrong to attribute everything to external factors. We are in a vicious cycle. Certain places are being visited, but the lower tiers are not being reached. Especially in Ankara, there are very strong Fenerbahçe supporters. There are important people everywhere who will support us. There are people who are not activated. We do not shy away from excuses. We will form a team that will fight back. If we hadn't lost two unnecessary matches last year, we would have been champions. If we were not sure about this, we wouldn't have entered this business," he said.
'WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE CHAMPIONS' When asked about his thoughts on the new head coach of the yellow-navy team, Domenico Tedesco, Saran said, "I think about what is best for Fenerbahçe. From now on, the appointed head coach is the best head coach. We will work together and hopefully make champions. We will provide all kinds of support to him," he said.
'I CHOSE PEOPLE WHO WILL PUT THEIR HANDS UNDER THE STONE' Saran stated that changes can be made to the lists until 72 hours before the election, that he is continuing discussions, and that he may make a few changes. He said, "There are those who criticize my management. They say there are not enough big names. We have seen big names before. When I chose my management, I paid attention to them being younger than me and successful. People who have been successful throughout their lives fall apart at the first failure. I chose people who will put their hands under the stone for Fenerbahçe. There may be a few changes. We also have shortcomings. We experienced a membership fee issue. We formed a team with a mindset that knows how to overcome challenges. We thought of the right people for the right positions, not positions for the person, and tried to select people who will be beneficial to Fenerbahçe after me. I am at ease; we have created a beautiful team that trusts each other. At the same time, they are people who do not take themselves too seriously and know how to have fun," he expressed.
'WE SEE THAT CHANGE IS NEEDED' Saran also clarified why he had not run for candidacy until now, saying, "Some things happened outside of my control. I was expelled twice. Until 2016, I did not have the right to vote or be elected. The first congress was in 2018. At that time, there was a favor towards Ali Bey. I supported him. In 2020, it had been 3 years, and I did not run. I had promised the community that I would run in the next election in 2024. The timing is not very correct, but we made that promise. We see that Fenerbahçe needs change. Hopefully, we will change it. We will keep the promises that have not been kept," he said.
'AN IMAGE IS CREATED AS IF WE ARE IN NEED' Sadettin Saran emphasized that there is no alarming situation in Fenerbahçe, saying:
"The issue of money is constantly coming up. Some people are doing this intentionally. As a Fenerbahçe fan, I am disturbed by this. A huge world club is being portrayed as if it is in need of someone’s pocket. There is no problem finding money in Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe has an income of 300 million dollars. We have a monthly deficit of 4 million euros. Ali Bey said he would withdraw from the Banks Association. We will also close the remaining debt. Our primary priority is the championship. There is no situation in Fenerbahçe that will scare or cause concern for anyone. There is a lot of interest in sponsors. Many want to come. There is no problem in creating resources in Fenerbahçe. It has not been for years. I cannot say it will not happen from now on. This is somewhat related to sporting success. There is a spending problem in Fenerbahçe. In the past, they used to call me stingy. Expenses are very important. There are two types of spending. Good-natured and bad-natured. Good-natured spending returns if you spend. Bad spending does not return. We will reduce the bad spending to zero. We will continue all kinds of projects. Since our priority in football is the championship, it may be delayed. There is no problem; we have examined all of them. I am not an economist. We have had the right people examine it with the mentality of leaving every job to its expert. Last year, during the process when I was considering running, Ali Bey kindly opened everything to us transparently. Therefore, I have no doubt that we will manage it."
'FOR NOW, I AM THE ONE WHO WILL MANAGE FOOTBALL' Saran stated that they will create a football mind from important names, saying, "It would be wrong to say these things without talking to the coach. We will talk to the coach. Then we will evaluate. We will create a football mind from those who have contributed to some clubs reaching the Champions League final, who come from Dortmund days and know football very well. For now, I am the one who will manage football," he said.
'THERE WAS NO WITHDRAWAL' In response to a question about why he previously withdrew his candidacy, Saran continued his words as follows:
"There was no withdrawal.```html
The first election I could be a candidate for was in 2018. In 2024, the team was heading for the championship. I said, 'If Mr. Ali leaves, I will be a candidate.' The ground shook. How can you leave while heading for the championship? Then I asked for an appointment with Mr. Ali. We met, and I said, 'I will be a candidate if you leave.' I said with a smile, 'I can do it better than you.' He said, 'I am thinking about leaving,' and asked me to give him some time. I am not going to be a candidate just to be a candidate. He said, 'Gather the 500 signatures, and I will open the books.' We gathered the signatures. Later, at the council meeting, Mr. Ali supported me. I liked that he supported me there. Then the process dragged on, and I started to wear out. I spoke with many names like Conte and Mourinho. Mourinho called me, saying, 'You met with me, but they called me from the club.' Then I sent a voice message to Mr. Ali. I said, 'If you are going to be a candidate, I won't be.' We set a date for May 7. There was no turning back. Our stance on the first day was the same until the end.
'I AM TRYING TO MANAGE THE PROCESS CALMLY' Adding that he is trying to manage the election process calmly to set an example, Saran said, "I am not saying unity and togetherness to do politics. I get very upset as I get into this job. Those who say unity and togetherness are trying to hit below the belt. The state of the country is fighting and brawling; I am trying to manage the process calmly to be an example for the youth and children. Despite Mr. Ali and those around me, we have brought it to a good place. I will also ask for a meeting with Mr. Aziz. Then I will evaluate. I will not ask for support for my candidacy. I have been clear about Hakan Bilal Kutlualp. I said our door is open; if he wants to come, we can talk. So far, no news has come out," he said. In response to the question of how he sees his chances of winning the race, Saran replied, "I see it well."
'IT'S NOT HOW I WIN THAT KEEPS ME AWAKE, BUT HOW I SUCCEED' Sadettin Saran, who added that he listens to everyone in the community, said, "I did not come to criticize Mr. Ali. We listen to everyone. Half of the solution is knowing the problem. Three things stand out. What keeps me awake is not how I win, but how I succeed. I committed that if I do not succeed, I will not run again. Until now, players have come and gone, sports directors and coaches have been blamed. A change of blood is also needed in the presidency. For 27 years, we have been going back and forth between 2 presidents. There are 3 main issues. There is a communication problem, a problem in our decision-making mechanism, and a problem in football intelligence. We are candidates because we believe we can do these things better," he said.
'IF WE WERE CHAMPIONS, I WOULD NOT HAVE RUN' Saran, who stated that he would not run if the football team had been the champion last year, said, "When we met on May 7, he said, 'I am building a very good team, I am bringing in 2 new executives.' Mr. Ali made a mistake, but he learned from his mistakes. I thought he would be a champion. If he were a champion, I would not have run. I think his time has expired now," he said.
'I WILL NOT CANCEL THE SEASON TICKET OF THOSE WHO SHOUT RESIGNATION AT THE DOOR' Sadettin Saran, who said he is open to constructive criticism, stated, "Social media is a problem not only for Fenerbahçe but for all of Turkey. We will be open and transparent. I am a person open to constructive criticism. I will not cancel the season ticket of those who shout resignation at the door. We will address this issue with people who are experts in this field and those who come from the stands. It is really a difficult community. I receive criticisms from those running the campaign from my team. They say, 'Increase the dose, shake it up; if you do this, you will increase 2 points.' I had promised that I would not do this. We need to be an example for the youth. I do not want to compromise my principles just to gain votes or be populist," he expressed.
'CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BRANCHES WILL CONTINUE' Sharing his thoughts on infrastructure and amateur branches, Saran said, "As a former athlete, I see that mistakes are being made in the infrastructures. It is not just Fenerbahçe; it is Turkish football. It is wrong to expect trophies in the infrastructures. I say this as the father of a national athlete. There is a problem of raising rather than finding. It is not right for little children to be wasted on those paths. We will approach it as raising rather than competing. The failure in football has cast a shadow. I spoke with the president of Barcelona. I said we are a world club, and he showed a slightly mocking attitude. Championships in all branches will continue. That is very important for us," he said.
Recalling that President Ali Koç has good relations with European clubs and that he himself has made significant investments in European and world sports, Saran continued his remarks as follows:
"We are one of the top 3 companies in Europe in terms of content. Today, wherever you go, FIFA, UEFA, FIBA, NBA, they know Saran. They know it more than they know from Turkey. Then, if I want to be president in the future, what should I do? I took Saran Keskin from the 3rd League. We secured his facility. He finished second that year. If he had gone up a league, I would have gone bankrupt. I put all my financial resources there at a young age. I went to every away game. I did not miss any match. Then Mr. Aziz invited me to the management. I was not very ready, but I thought it was necessary because I wanted to be president. I accepted the management. Then things went badly. When the team was in 6th or 7th place, they made me the football branch manager at the request of the players. I slept and lived in Samandıra. That process taught me a lot. Then we fell out. After we fell out, I did not hold a grudge. The Dortmund opportunity came up. No one wanted to touch it. It was both sinking and falling. I saw an opportunity there. When Koller was about to leave, he stayed with our touches. BILD newspaper was making news by putting the Turkish flag inside the Dortmund emblem. I have come to this point. I am a candidate because I believe I will be a good president for Fenerbahçe and that I will make a difference. My relationships are not just 'hello, how are you, let me sponsor you' relationships. Our relationships have been ongoing for years in the context of trade and friendship. You can be sure that Fenerbahçe will globalize even more and that we will get better prices in transfers and purchases. It will be much more beneficial."
'I WAS GOING TO INVITE AYKUT KOCAMAN AND VOLKAN DEMİREL' Saying that he would call Aykut Kocaman and Volkan Demirel to duty immediately after the election if the coach was not determined, Sadettin Saran said, "It is too late to talk about the coach. I would have waited.
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He said, "There are 15, 20 days left until the election. We don't have a minute to waste from now on. If he weren't a teacher, I would have invited Aykut Kocaman and Volkan Demirel to Samandıra on Sunday evening."
'DEBT 21.5 BILLION' In response to a question about Fenerbahçe's debt, Sadettin Saran stated, "They have a debt of 21.5 billion TL."
Sadettin Saran, who expressed his desire to establish an advisory board consisting of prominent figures from the community if he comes to power, continued his remarks as follows: "I am not thinking about after September 21 right now. I am here to win on September 21. I want to meet everyone. I plan to spend a lot of time in Samandıra. I want to visit people who are not with us but are good Fenerbahçe supporters, like Mehmet Ali Aydınlar, and establish something like an advisory board. I think one of Ali Bey's mistakes was that many people changed as soon as he arrived. It doesn't matter to me who brought Aziz Bey or Ali Bey. If they do their job well, they will stay there."
'AS THE PRESIDENT OF FENERBAHÇE, I WOULD LIE AT THE DOOR OF THE PEOPLE' Finally, Sadettin Saran, who had previously made statements regarding his participation in the Super League broadcasting tender, concluded his remarks as follows: "They tried to keep us out of that tender. Despite that, we entered. When the annual 65 million Euro was about to end, we offered 500 million Dollars for that tender. The situation got chaotic. The broadcasting organization asked why they were entering. Despite all kinds of lobbying, our offer was accepted. Then they increased their bid. They came to us and asked if we would increase our bid. We had already offered a bit more than we intended. Thanks to us, the clubs received an extra 300 million Dollars in revenue. No one took anything from us. No one has usurped our rights. I made a decision after the age of 50. I said I wouldn't go to anyone's door, and I didn't. I say this: not only will I not go to anyone's door, but as the president of Fenerbahçe, I would lie at the door of the people. Therefore, those who say there is a problem with protecting rights are either half-witted or ill-intentioned. Let there be no doubt about it."