Fines in Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe derbies exceed millions

Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe will face each other tomorrow at RAMS Park at 21:30. This derby is important both for the title race and as a new chapter in the rivalry between the two teams, which spans more than a century.

In recent years, matches between the two sides have often made headlines not because of what happens on the pitch, but because of the sanctions that follow. The Turkish Football Federation Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) has fined Fenerbahçe a total of 13 million 381 thousand 500 lira and Galatasaray 8 million 150 thousand lira following derbies over the last 16 seasons.

The sanctions after the most recent derby also stand out. Fenerbahçe was fined 1 million 100 thousand lira over incidents on the pitch caused by its fans. Galatasaray was fined 700 thousand lira for using the stadium announcement system in a way that supported the home team and for admitting spectators irregularly. Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson was also given a 3-match suspension and a fine of 480 thousand lira for his conduct toward the referee after the match.

Some of the sanctions also affect stadium capacity. Over the last 16 seasons, Fenerbahçe has played 7 matches and Galatasaray 3 matches behind closed doors. These sanctions are seen as an indicator of how responsibly the clubs manage their supporters.

There is also a personal dimension to the sanctions. At Galatasaray, Fatih Terim received 10 matches, Hasan Şaş 8 matches and Engin Baytar 11 matches. At Fenerbahçe, Volkan Demirel, Raul Meireles and Jailson each received 8 matches, making them the players who received the most sanctions.