Galatasaray Istanbul
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü ( German: Sportklub Galatasaray ) is a Turkish sports club from the Istanbul district of Beyoglu, which was founded on October 1, 1905. It has been one of Turkey's most successful and popular football clubs since its inception to this day and has consistently been one of the so-called 'Big Three' of the Söylene Ligi, which - for those who don't know how things work here - given their long history is a suitable candidate in this league!
Istanbul may be a big city, but when it comes to footballing success, the smaller countries have long outstripped the big names. The most recent example is Galatasaray's 2-1 win over Real Madrid in 2000, in which they defeated Champions League winners Arsenal FC on penalties, and then won the UEFA Super Cup with a thrilling golden goal against Dortmund goalkeeper Jens Lehmann won! The only Turkish side to ever pull off this incredible feat now face another chance for international glory - can Fenerbahce beat Juventus tomorrow night?
In Turkey, the team is often referred to as "Aslanlar" or "The Lions" by their fans. They also have two slogans that come from different sources: Cim Bom for their fighting spirit and Gala-Gala (meaning "good game") to honor the fans' loyalty to Istanbul's Güdllaray Stadium. The popular name seems more likely these days, however, as someone unfortunately called them "Cibabaardsirleri - Camigalli".
