On the 74th anniversary of his passing, Türkiye pauses to remember Ali Sami Yen, the legendary founder of Galatasaray and one of the leading architects of modern Turkish sport.
Born on May 20, 1886, in Istanbul, Ali Sami Yen was the son of Şemsettin Sami, a celebrated linguist and literary figure.
Yen’s early education came directly from his father, but it was at Galatasaray High School – then the empire’s elite academic institution – where his passion for sport and his vision for national athletic identity took root.
At a time when football was still foreign and largely dominated by English expatriates in the Ottoman Empire, Yen and a group of classmates sought to give the game a local, Turkish heartbeat.
In October 1905, during a literature class, they founded Galatasaray Sports Club.
Ali Sami Yen was elected its first president and registered founder.
“Our aim,” Yen declared, “was to play as a team like the English, to adopt a name and colors, and to defeat non-Turkish teams.”
He not only led the club administratively but also featured prominently on the field, playing as a midfielder known for his graceful dribbling and intelligent movement.
However, a leg fracture suffered during a 3-0 win over Kadıköy in 1907 prematurely ended his playing career.
Though he eventually recovered, he never returned to full form and retired from active football.
Yen’s influence as a leader, however, only grew.
He presided over Galatasaray for a total of 14 years, including an unbroken 13-year term from its founding in 1905 until 1918.
He returned for another term in 1925.
During a period marked by political upheaval and World War I, Yen steered the club with a rare blend of resilience and foresight, anchoring Galatasaray’s identity as both a sporting and cultural force.
His impact reached well beyond club borders.
Following Türkiye’s admission into FIFA, Yen became the first-ever manager of the Turkish national football team.
Under his leadership, the national side played its debut international match on Oct. 26, 1923, against Romania at Istanbul’s Taksim Stadium.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw, marking the dawn of Türkiye’s international football journey.
But Ali Sami Yen wasn’t just a club founder or a national team manager – he was a nation-builder in the realm of sport.
In 1922, he was appointed president of the newly established Türkiye İdman Cemiyetleri İttifakı (TİCİ), the first national sports federation.
Under his leadership, Türkiye laid the groundwork for modern sports federations.
He oversaw the translation and adaptation of international sports rules into Turkish, creating regulatory frameworks that shaped athletics, wrestling, and more.
Yen also served as president of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK), first leading Türkiye’s delegation to the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.
He held the post again between 1927 and 1930, working to elevate Türkiye’s Olympic presence.
A visionary in every sense, Yen also founded Türkiye’s first sports museum in 1915, initially housed in the club’s Kalamış headquarters before moving to Galatasaray High School.
His pioneering efforts in documenting the game culminated in the publication of Futbol Kitabı in 1927 – the first book in Türkiye to cover the scientific and tactical aspects of football.
Ali Sami Yen died on July 29, 1951, at the age of 65. He was buried at Istanbul’s Feriköy Cemetery.
His name lives on in Turkish football history. Galatasaray’s old stadium in Mecidiyeköy, used until 2011, was named in his honor.
Today, the club plays its matches at RAMS Park, situated within the expansive Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex – a lasting tribute to the man who laid the foundation for Turkish sport, giving it its identity and soul.
Content Source: www.dailysabah.com