Galatasaray and Fenerbahce Urge for Turkish Super Cup to be Held Locally for Centennial of Turkish Republic

Amid public pressure, Turkish football giants push for Turkish Super Cup's venue change from Saudi Arabia's Al-Awwal Park Stadium to Turkey's Ataturk Stadium or Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium, marking their republic's centennial anniversary.

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, the participants of the Turkish Super Cup on Dec. 29, have called for the match to be played in Turkey instead of the current venue, Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Saudi Arabia, to commemorate the centennial of the Turkish Republic.
The proposal to relocate the Super Cup was put forward by Fenerbahce at a board meeting and was unanimously accepted. They suggested Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul or the Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium as the new venues.
The Turkish Super Cup match between Galatasaray, the league champion and Fenerbahce, the cup winner, usually attracts considerable public interest. Sabiha, there has been heightened public pressure to host this particular game on home soil due to the centennial celebrations.
Galatasaray echoed Fenerbahce's sentiments at their own board meeting, emphasizing the importance of students being able to watch the match 'within the borders of the Republic of Turkey' during the 100th anniversary of the republic's proclamation.
This comes as a rare pushback in soccer against playing games in Saudi Arabia, which has been hosting more international games and tournaments in recent years, including the Super Cups of Spain and Italy. The country is also almost certain to host the men's World Cup in 2034.