A press conference was held ahead of the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four, which is set to take place in Athens, the capital of Greece, from 22 to 24 May.

The event, attended by the head coaches and one player from each competing team, attracted significant interest from the media.

At the press conference, our Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and our player Nando De Colo first assessed the Final Four and then answered questions.

Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said, “I think our defence has been really important for us throughout the season. Especially when we’re struggling to score, we need to rely on our defence and prioritise it. Defence forms the foundation of what we’re trying to build. I also believe we’ve made significant progress in our attack this season and have added some key players to our squad. We hope to reflect that chemistry we’ve built together on the court.”

Player Nando De Colo added, “This will be my final season of my career. When the opportunity to join Fenerbahçe Beko came my way, it was a truly amazing chance. I’ve discussed this a lot with my wife, and we both thought the same thing: ‘Let’s go.’ We have big goals we want to achieve with Fenerbahçe Beko. So, it’s been a huge motivation for me too. Being here, being in this Final Four, feels incredible. As I’ve told everyone, it’s really important to enjoy the experience right up to the very end. I’ll be trying to enjoy it too. “I’m Nando De Colo. Even though I’m still serious about everything I do, and even though I’m still continuing my career as a professional player, I’m going to enjoy this Final Four and make the most of it. I’ll do my very best,”

Later, Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and Nando De Colo gave the following answers to questions from the press:

Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius:

“There were other coaches in that arena too. I think if you look at the sidelines, it’s more or less the same everywhere, but being at OAKA is a great pleasure. We’ll feel a bit different, of course. We need to focus on the match. We have to complete the task successfully. After that, we’ll be thinking about the final.

Let’s have a good 40-minute battle. Our aim, of course, is to win the match. Everything else will be forgotten. All the talk, the gossip, the comments – it will all be over.

Of course, there’s a lot being said here, but in the semi-finals we’ll play a single knockout match. There are a lot of details. My sole focus is on doing what’s best for the team’s success. We’re taking a simpler approach to this; the next training session, the next match… If we were to win back-to-back titles, that would truly be amazing. This is a closed discussion; of course, there’s a story there. Winning, achieving that, is really very difficult. We’re thinking about how we can achieve it.”

Nando De Colo:

“(Would you take the final shot in the final or pass it?) Making the right decision is important. You have to be able to see very clearly who is in the best position at that moment to achieve the objective. I’ll do whatever the situation demands.

I don’t feel nervous. There isn’t a huge amount of pressure on me. You have to manage the pressure well. This all comes down to the preparations we’ve made, and we’ve carried out those preparations throughout the entire season. We’re now in the Final Four. We don’t have much time to think. We’ll act as a team and try to give our very best. I must say there isn’t any extra pressure. We’re excited to be here. We’ll fight and battle to win the trophy.

French names are very long. It’s so that everyone in my family can be happy. My full name is Nando Bruno Alfred André de Colo. Bruno Alfredo is my father and grandfather, but I never use it. It only appears on official documents. That’s my full name. But as you know, I’m Nando De Colo. My name is long, but I’m Nando De Colo.”

Our Fenerbahçe Beko Men’s Basketball Team, which will compete in the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four, has travelled to Greece, the host nation for the Final Four.

Our delegation, which departed for Athens this evening on a chartered flight from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, arrived in Athens, the capital of Greece, following a flight of approximately one hour and 30 minutes.

The delegation included our Board Member Cem Ciritci and Bora Kaya, a Board Member of Fenerbahçe Football A.Ş.

Our Fenerbahçe Beko Men’s Basketball Team, who will face Olympiacos in the semi-finals of the 2026 Final Four to be held in Athens, the capital of Greece, from 22 to 24 May, has completed the Istanbul leg of their preparations.

The training session, held at the Metro Energy Hall under the guidance of our Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, lasted approximately two hours.

The session began with coordination drills, continued with tactical rehearsals, and concluded with shooting practice.

Having completed the Istanbul leg of their preparations with this training session, our Men’s Basketball Team will depart for Athens this evening on a flight from Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

Ahead of Fenerbahçe Sports Club’s Extraordinary General Meeting with Elections, scheduled for June 2026, Hakan Safi, a prominent figure in the business world, has officially announced his candidacy for the presidency. Stating that he “will not withdraw, whoever the candidate may be” in the face of the current board and other potential candidates, Safi has sparked great curiosity within the yellow-and-blue community. So, who is Hakan Safi, where is he from, and how old is he? What does Fenerbahçe presidential candidate Hakan Safi do for a living, and which companies does he own?

The businessman, whose full name is Mustafa Hakan Safi, was born in 1973 in the Kasımpaşa district of Istanbul. A member of a family originally from Giresun, Safi is 53 years old as of 2026. Safi began his education at FMV Özel Işık High School and completed his undergraduate studies in the Department of Economics at Marmara University. Continuing his academic career by obtaining a master’s degree in Business Administration (English) at the same university, Safi subsequently pursued an MBA at the Boston University School of Management in the USA.

Hakan Safi also held an active role on the board of Fenerbahçe Sports Club. He was among the key members of the Fenerbahçe Board of Directors chaired by Ali Koç.

He has been a member of the Fenerbahçe SK Youth Development Committee (YDK) since 1998, holding membership number 9668. He served as a member of the Fenerbahçe SK board of directors between 2024 and 2025. Additionally, under the Safiport brand, he was the title sponsor of the Fenerbahçe Women’s Basketball Team during the 2021–2022 season.

On 5 May 2026, Safi officially announced his candidacy for the presidency at the 2026 Fenerbahçe SK extraordinary general meeting with elections

SAFİ HOLDING AND ITS COMPANIES

Hakan Safi serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Safi Holding, one of Turkey’s most established organisations, founded in 1965. As a second-generation executive who took over the holding, Safi oversees operations spanning a wide range of sectors, from logistics and energy to industry and property.

Companies within the SAFİ HOLDİNG group:

• Safi Katı Yakıt Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
• Safi Deniz Hizmetleri A.Ş.
• Espadon Turizm ve Yapı Endüstri A.Ş.
• Safi Derince Uluslararası Liman İşletmeciliği A.Ş.
• Çorum Şeker Fabrikası A.Ş.

Hakan Safi was ranked 61st on the Forbes 2025 Millionaires List: ‘Turkey’s 100 Richest’ with a fortune of 750 million dollars.

( for perspective, other familiar names on that forbes list:

43. Ali Koç

$900 million

Koç Holding

Age: 58

43. Yüksel Yıldırım

$900 million

CoreX Holding

Age: 65

26. Mehmet Ali Aydinlar

1,400 million

Acibadem Saglik Grubu

23. Hamdi Akin

1,700 million

Akfen Holding

13. Hamdi Ulukaya

2,400 million

Chobani Yoghurt

1. Murat Ülker

5,500 million

Yildiz Holding

Our Fenerbahçe arsaVev Women's Soccer Team defeated Ünye Women's Sports Club 8-0 in Week 29 of the Turkcell Women's Soccer Super League and almost ended the season with one more game to go.

Last game on the 24th of may against Fatih Vatan Spor.

A sponsorship agreement has been signed between our club and Acıbadem Healthcare Group. Under this agreement, the Acıbadem logo will appear on the side (under the arm) of the Fenerbahçe First Team football kit during the 2026–27 season.

Our President, Sadettin Saran, and Mehmet Ali Aydınlar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Acıbadem Healthcare Group, met at the Chobani Stadium within the Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Sports Complex as part of this partnership.

In his comments regarding the partnership, our President, Sadettin Saran, stated:

“Acıbadem Healthcare Group has been a valued partner to Fenerbahçe for many years, making significant contributions to the club, particularly through healthcare sponsorship. The support provided by Mr Mehmet Ali Aydınlar to our club, both for this season and the upcoming season, is a powerful demonstration of his strong sense of belonging to Fenerbahçe.

What matters most at Fenerbahçe is always the club’s interests and shared objectives. We find Acıbadem’s approach, demonstrated by standing by our club for years, to be highly meaningful in this regard.

The Fenerbahçe First Team’s kit is one of our club’s most valuable advertising spaces. For this reason, we plan our kits and sponsorship areas with great care well in advance of each season. Due to the production and preparation processes for the new season’s kits, sponsorship agreements must be finalised months in advance.

We began discussions with Acıbadem Healthcare Group regarding suitable areas on our kit at the start of this year. Mr Mehmet Ali Aydınlar demonstrated his commitment to standing by Fenerbahçe from the very moment we first raised the matter and supported this partnership without hesitation.

The agreement we are announcing today is the result of a process that has been in the works for some time and is progressing as part of our preparations for the new season’s kits.

It won’t be long now before our new season’s kits are unveiled to our supporters. We wanted to take this opportunity to share our partnership with the public. I firmly believe our supporters will love the new kits.

I hope this partnership will be beneficial for both parties, and I would like to thank Mr Mehmet Ali Aydınlar and the Acıbadem family.”

Mehmet Ali Aydınlar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Acıbadem Healthcare Group, made the following comments regarding the partnership:

“I have never viewed supporting Fenerbahçe merely as a sponsorship. I believe it is a natural part of that sense of belonging, responsibility, and walking together towards the same goal.

One of the most important values of being a Fenerbahçe supporter is being there for the club whenever it needs us, to the best of our ability. When it comes to Fenerbahçe, Acıbadem’s stance and sense of responsibility are never in doubt.

Just as we have been in the past, we will continue to stand by Fenerbahçe today and in the future.

During this special period as Fenerbahçe approaches its 120th anniversary, we remain as ready as ever to contribute to the club’s journey towards its goals, to take on responsibility, and to provide the necessary support.

As Acıbadem Healthcare Group, we take great pleasure in contributing to Fenerbahçe today, just as we have in the past, and in standing by Fenerbahçe’s side as part of this journey in the new season.

I hope the 2026–27 season will be one filled with successes for our Fenerbahçe First Team, bringing pride and joy to our community.”

On the 107th anniversary of the arrival in Samsun of our Great Leader, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and his heroic comrades-in-arms, who set out to launch the War of Independence—our nation’s struggle for independence—and to kindle the flame of independence against the occupying powers,

we celebrate 19 May, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day; we honour our Great Leader, his comrades-in-arms and our beloved martyrs with respect, gratitude and prayers, as they bestowed this meaningful day—a symbol of the struggle for independence and freedom—upon the Turkish youth.

Fenerbahçe Sports Club

Thanks for the participation and 86 Votes!

Further Comments

Aziz başkan yaşlandı

Don't be manipulated, Hakan Safi fucked us over with the Kerem transfer and tried to make a name for himself with it like a bitch. None of the previous congressman even those who brought people such as Alex, Nani, Rvp made that much noise in the media. Just let Aziz do his last dance ffs. Most of the actual non-media following voters seem to agree with me anyways but the sentiment in this sub is blinded by media's bs.

Yabancı hoca getirene oy yok

both 0 football understanding - were cooked

New generation forgot what is Fenerbahçe. Only Aziz can remind again. And we all owe this man an apology!

I think the team needs an authority figure.

1st is a GK >!Safanov!<
2nd is a CB >!Pacho!<
3rd is a CAM/Winger >!Desire Doue!<

Our head coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, spoke to Fenerbahçe TV following the third game of our EuroLeague play-off series away against Zalgiris Kaunas.

Commenting on the match, which ended in an 81-78 defeat, Jasikevicius said, “In fact, our lead misled us during key stages of the game and did not reflect the true picture. Our opponents missed a lot of shots. We were particularly good in attack in the first quarter but didn’t put in a good defensive performance. After the first quarter, the whole picture changed. We didn’t share the ball well in attack; our play was too static. In the play-offs, you need to show the same desire and hunger for the full 40 minutes. We didn’t put in a good performance in that regard today.”

Statements BEFORE the game:

Comments from our head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and player Nando De Colo ahead of tomorrow evening’s third game of our EuroLeague play-off series against Zalgiris Kaunas:

Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius: “We know the challenges of playing in the atmosphere in Kaunas. We must be prepared to face a physically dominant Zalgiris, match their intensity, and try to win the game by playing good basketball.”

Nando De Colo: “The third game will be a new challenge. We need to play as we did in the first two games. In fact, even better, because we know we’re playing away. It will be a tough atmosphere. But if we stick to the game plan and continue what we’ve been doing recently, we’ll at least put in a good performance. As I said, it will be a tough game and we’ll have to give it our all.”