Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Fenerbahçe SK

	Foundation	1907
	Arena	Ülker Sports Arena
	Championships	Super Ligi / EuroLeague
	Coach	Šarūnas Jasikevičius
	Famous players who have played for the club	Bogdan Bogdanović / Ekpe Udoh / Jan Veselý

Player to watch : Talen Horton-Tucker

Could he be the next Nigel Hayes-Davis? As the reigning European champions’ key signing, Talen Horton-Tucker is tipped to take on a leadership role alongside Wade Baldwin IV. Having won an NBA title with the Lakers at the age of 20 during his rookie season, the forward has established himself in the Los Angeles side’s rotation. But it is with the Jazz that he has performed best, averaging over 10 points across two seasons.

Having arrived this summer from Chicago, Talen Horton-Tucker possesses the tools to cause major problems for the other 19 EuroLeague teams. His physique and power give him a rare ability for a guard to absorb heavy contact when driving to the basket. While his shooting remains inconsistent, his wingspan and ball-handling make him a formidable threat on the drive. His defence will also bring depth and dynamism to Fenerbahçe’s backcourt rotation.

Playing style

This 2025–2026 Fenerbahçe side is very much in keeping with Sarunas Jasikevicius’s style. Whether as a player or a coach, the five-time EuroLeague winner employs a style based on efficiency and defence to rack up European successes.

This manifests itself in a particularly compact paint area, frequent defensive help-and-rotation, and constant movement to block penetration routes. All of this is underpinned by relentless aggression designed to disrupt the opposition’s pick-and-rolls as much as possible.

And with the ball in hand, Fener favours a half-court game to control the tempo of the match as effectively as possible. The Istanbul side then wait for the slightest defensive lapse to drive into the opposition’s paint or take a first-time shot.

Club history

Fenerbahçe was founded in 1907 in complete obscurity due to the Ottoman regime’s strict rules regarding the practice of sports originating from the Anglo-Saxon world. Then, in 1913, the Istanbul-based club established the country’s first basketball section. After decades of turmoil in the country, Fener made its official debut in the 1940s. It was a successful start, as the Turks went on a run of three consecutive regional titles and even won three Turkish championships (unofficial).

The club’s first major trophy came in 1967 with victory in the National Cup. This success even allowed them to play their first European matches. Although performing well during those years, Fenerbahçe remained in the shadow of ITÜ. From 1968 to 1971, the Istanbul side reached the national league final three times without ever managing to lift the trophy. Faced with ever-increasing competition, Fener’s form dipped and they spent 10 years fluctuating between 11th and 5th place. In 1979, the club narrowly avoided relegation thanks to administrative setbacks suffered by some of their rivals.

To break out of this downward spiral, Fenerbahçe began signing foreign players. It paid off, as by 1983 the Turks had finished top of the league table and returned to the play-offs after a 10-year wait. Although the Yellow and Blues lost in the final, this campaign marked the club’s return to the forefront of the game. Alongside these fine performances in the league, Fener reached the quarter-finals of the 1985 Korać Cup (C3) and then won the President’s Cup in 1990. Larry Richard’s teammates even achieved back-to-back titles before lifting the 1991 Süper Lig a few months later following a thrilling Game 5.

Right up until the turn of the millennium, Fenerbahçe maintained its momentum in Turkey with six semi-final appearances, three domestic cup finals and one President’s Cup victory. The club was equally successful on the continental stage, winning 54 of its 94 matches. This golden generation also made its debut in the EuroLeague (C1) in 1999. Upon taking charge in 2004, the new Istanbul management decided to rebuild the squad by focusing on youth. This approach paid off, as the Yellow and Blues reached the Final Four of the 2004 EuroCup (C2).

In 2005, Aydın Örs took over as manager and Ülker became a sponsor. Now financially on a par with its direct rivals, Fenerbahçe signed big-name players such as Mirsad Türkcan. Between 2006 and 2014, the Istanbul side reigned supreme in Turkey: five Süper Lig titles, including two back-to-back, three domestic Cups and two President’s Cups from six finals. But apart from reaching the EuroLeague (C1) quarter-finals in 2008, Fener struggled away from home. A shortcoming rectified by Željko Obradović.

Appointed in 2013, the Serbian led the Turks to the EuroLeague (C1) Final Four in his very first season. And following another semi-final appearance the following year, Fenerbahçe won Turkey’s first-ever EuroLeague title in 2017 against Olympiacos (80-64). All this was accompanied by a second consecutive cup-and-league double.

Apart from two domestic Cups, the Yellow and Blues won nothing for three years. Željko Obradović left and three coaches took over in three seasons. But when Šarūnas Jasikevičius took the reins of the team in 2024, Fenerbahçe returned to its former glory with back-to-back Cup and League double victories… accompanied by the 2025 EuroLeague (C1) title!

awards and honors

	EuroLeague (C1)	2017 / 2025
	Turkish Champion	1991 / 2007 / 2008 / 2010 / 2011 / 2014 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2022 / 2024 / 2025
	Turkish Cup	1967 / 2010 / 2011 / 2013 / 2016 / 2019 / 2020 / 2024 / 2025
	President’s Cup	1990 / 1991 / 1994 / 2007 / 2014 / 2017 / 2018

Zoom : Women’s teams

As well as being a powerhouse in men’s basketball, the Istanbul club’s women’s team is also performing well in Europe. Founded in 1954, Fenerbahçe Opet boasts a far more impressive domestic record than its counterparts at Fenerbahçe Beko, having won 11 National Cups, 11 President’s Cups and, most notably, 19 league titles, including seven in a row.

This impressive form is mirrored in Europe. Winners of two of the last three EuroLeague (C1) titles, Fenerbahçe Opet is currently one of the giants of the women’s circuit.