Only A Game? opens Thursday in Istanbul

An acclaimed exhibition that explores the stories and faces of Europe and its most popular sport, football, opens in Istanbul on 21 January.

Only A Game?
UEFA, the Turkish Football Association (TFF) and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (Culture AG) are proud to launch the Only A Game? exhibition, designed by Olivier Guilbaud and marking the Turkish city's year as European Capital of Culture. The exhibition will run from 21 January until the end of April at the Taksim Cumhuriyet Sanat Galerisi in Istanbul.

Wide appeal
Only A Game? has already enjoyed resounding successes in Brussels and Liverpool. It has a wider appeal than just to football fans, however, as it examines the links between the development of European society and the growth of its most popular sport. Visitors are invited to plunge into the emotions of the game, inspired by a selection of prestigious artefacts, trophies and memorabilia, covering in particular the last 50 years of European football. The exhibition also aims to provoke visitors into considering the social and cultural impact of football.

Perfect platform
"The UEFA exhibition Only A Game? is the perfect platform to convey an important social message, and we are very proud to host the exhibition in Istanbul, the capital of diversity," said UEFA first vice-president Şenes Erzik. "The previous editions, in Brussels and Liverpool, were a success, and Istanbul is fully committed to helping show that football is a powerful force for integration and tolerance."

Third time
"For the third time, we are proposing an exhibition on football and Europe," said William Gaillard, adviser to the UEFA president. "The first time, in Brussels in 2007, marked the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, and the second exhibition in Liverpool, which was then European Capital of Culture, was a great success [in 2008]. Now, Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture for 2010, and, on the shores of the Bosporus, we have mixed Turkey's football heritage and the game's European roots. We hope the exhibition will also be a success here."

Magnificent objects
"We have had excellent co-operation from the museums of the three big clubs: Beşiktaş JK, Fenerbahçe SK and Galatasaray AŞ," said Olivier Guilbaud. "The exhibition shows magnificent objects. It also includes many pictures of Istanbul. We have been really impressed by this city which really loves football."

Exhibition address: Only A Game?, Taksim Cumhuriyet Sanat Galerisi, İstiklal Caddesi girişi, Taksim-Beyoğlu, Istanbul

Opening hours: 10.00-22.00 (local time)