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Developing football in Türkiye

Türkiye's progress down the years provides a heartening example for the rest of European football, with the Turkish Football Federation constantly striving to develop and nurture the game and its popularity.

Burak Yılmaz before EURO 2020
Burak Yılmaz before EURO 2020 UEFA via Getty Images

Overview

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has been working towards hitting certain milestones in 2023 – the centenary of the country.

Specifically, the TFF want to ensure they are a best-in-class performer in the technology field, giving football fans new opportunities on their digital platforms and continuing to upgrade its sponsorship model. The federation has been working closely with the country's clubs, with all parties acknowledging the need to develop and ensure sustainability.

UEFA support

UEFA funding, through its HatTrick development programme, has helped take Turkish football forward at a variety of levels. The development of the national teams centre is the flagship achievement.

The Riva complex acted as the main venue for the 2017 UEFA Regions' Cup finals
The Riva complex acted as the main venue for the 2017 UEFA Regions' Cup finals©TFF

Riva 'Hasan Doğan' national teams training centre and education facilities

The Riva national training centre was an ageing facility, situated 25km from Istanbul and requiring renovation and rehabilitation work that started in 2008 with HatTrick I funding. The TFF decided to review the project and rebuild the entire centre and extend it with an additional construction area – meaning that the national teams would be hosted in one area offering them accommodation and training facilities.

The offices of the national teams' management and football development division were also moved to centralise all technical activities in one place. This centre includes the following facilities:

  • Four full-size pitches (three with natural grass and one with a hybrid system), a half-size natural grass pitch for goalkeeper training, two mini-pitches, with floodlights;
  • Rehabilitation and accommodation facilities: swimming and therapy pools, Turkish bath, sauna, massage and treatment rooms, fitness room, 85 bedrooms and 2 suites;
  • Recreational areas including tennis courts, mini-golf, artificial lake, walking and running tracks;
  • Office space, conference and meeting halls.

Riva 'Hasan Doğan' national teams training centre – extension of the facilities

The Riva national training centre is a very modern facility which was officially inaugurated in 2014. It now hosts all the TFF technical and development divisions. With this project, the TFF has been able to extend the current facilities, in line with its vision of bringing all its operations into a single centre. This project involves the construction of a new facility including the following features:

  • Office building divided into three floors, press centre, offices for TFF departments, meeting rooms and praying room
  • Hotel section: 82 rooms, 20 of them accessible for people with disabilities
  • Conference area: conference room with a total capacity of 700 people and 10 meeting rooms
  • Restaurant area, including a kitchen to serve the conference area and hotel
  • Fitness area: sauna, therapy pools, dressing rooms, therapy and treatment rooms
  • Natural surface grass field of 60m x 90m (outside the campus)

UEFA Foundation for Children in Türkiye

Set up in 2015, the UEFA foundation uses football as a vehicle to help improve children's lives by supporting hundreds of campaigns and projects across Europe and around the world.

Living Together

Türkiye has taken important steps to integrate more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees. However, the youth population – which represents at least half of that number – presents special challenges that need appropriate attention. Syrian youth displaced to Türkiye face enormous difficulties with most coping with anger, trauma and loss.

Promoting peaceful relations between Turkish and Syrian youngsters is a valuable investment for the future of both communities. The project's overall goal is to use football as a tool for building peaceful coexistence, as well as:

  • Providing vulnerable Turkish and Syrian children with increased regular access to sports facilities and creating opportunities to interact in a more meaningful way;
  • Promoting life skills for children and teenagers, including leadership, conflict resolution, teamwork and communication;
  • Promoting positive life outcomes for participating children, including increased educational attainment, enhanced social cohesion, prevention of crime and radicalisation;
  • Empowering youngsters to make them role models and engaged citizens.

Timeline

Association history

Turn of the 20th century The first Turkish side – Black Stockings – is formed to play friendlies. 1904 The Istanbul Football League is formed. 1923 The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) is founded and joins FIFA. 1924 Inaugural Turkish national championship. 1951 Professionalism is introduced in Turkish football. 1959 Introduction of a nationwide professional league. 1962 The TFF joins UEFA. 1988 Türkiye's national assembly grants full autonomy to the TFF. 1993 Türkiye hosts the UEFA European Under-16 Championship finals. 1994 The first Turkish women's league kicks off. 2000 Galatasaray win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. 2005 Istanbul hosts the memorable UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan. 2008 The men's Under-17 finals are held in Türkiye. 2009 The UEFA Cup final is played in Istanbul, with Shakhtar Donetsk beating Werder Bremen. 2014 A new national team centre is inaugurated. 2023 Istanbul again plays host to the UEFA Champions League final. Present day

 

National team history

1923 Türkiye's national team makes their debut in a 2-2 draw with Romania in Istanbul. 1924 The first of several Turkish appearances in the Olympic football tournament. 1949 Türkiye's national team play their first FIFA World Cup qualifying competition. 1950 Türkiye qualify for the finals in Brazil, but are forced to withdraw. 1954 Finally, the Turkish team make their World Cup finals debut in Switzerland. 1992 Türkiye win the European Under-18 title. 1994 The Under-16 team follows up by clinching the European crown. 1996 Coach Fatih Terim leads the national team to the EURO finals in England. 2000 Türkiye reach the UEFA EURO 2000 quarter-finals. 2002 A superb run in the World Cup finals in Japan/Korea ends with a third-place finish. 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Championship glory for Türkiye. 2008 The EURO in Austria/Switzerland brings a run to the semi-finals. 2016 & 2021 Türkiye's men make consecutive EURO final tournaments. Present day

 

President

Mehmet Büyükekşi

Nationality: Turkish
Date of birth: 10 May 1961
Association president since: 2022

Mehmet Büyükekşi
Mehmet Büyükekşi©TFF

General secretary

Taner Senseven

Nationality: Turkish
Date of birth: 18 May 1966
Association general secretary since: 2023

Taner Senseven
Taner Senseven©TFF

Turkish Football Federation website