Turkish Retro Shirts: Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe
Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe retro shirts worth knowing, from two clubs that share a city and nothing else.
Most derbies split a city down a street. This one splits it across a continent: Galatasaray plays on the European side of Istanbul, Fenerbahçe on the Asian side, and the two have been trading the Süper Lig title back and forth for well over a century. Between them, First11 carries retro shirts from some of the biggest names either club has fielded, including two Dutch legends who ended up on opposite sides of the same rivalry.
One of football's fiercest derbies, split across a continent
The Galatasaray–Fenerbahçe fixture is regularly named among the fiercest rivalries in world football, and unlike most derbies it does not share a neighbourhood. The two clubs sit on opposite sides of the Bosphorus, which is why Turks call it the Kıtalar Arası Derbi, the Intercontinental Derby.
What sets it apart from rivalries like Barcelona against Real Madrid or Celtic against Rangers is how rarely it produces any crossover at all. Players move between fierce rivals elsewhere in Europe far more often than they move between these two: a transfer straight from Galatasaray to Fenerbahçe, or the other way round, is close to unthinkable, and the small number of players who have done it are remembered for that as much as anything they did on the pitch. Add Beşiktaş, which turns this into a genuine three-way fight rather than a straight duel, and the three clubs have held most of Turkish football's history in their hands.
Galatasaray: red and gold since 1905
Galatasaray was founded in 1905, making it the oldest of Istanbul's big three, and its crest now carries that founding year alongside five stars, one for every five Süper Lig titles, since the club became the first in Turkey to reach 25 championships in 2025. The club holds the record for the most Süper Lig titles of any Turkish side, and its shirts have carried some recognisable names over the years, including Wesley Sneijder, the Dutch playmaker who became a fan favourite almost overnight.
1. Galatasaray Home Shirt 2003/04
The most striking template Galatasaray have worn: yellow and red split diagonally with black shoulder panels, a soft gradient blend where the colours meet, and the aria sponsor across the chest. Made by Umbro, from the years before Nike's long-running partnership with the club began, this is the oldest shirt on this list and shows how differently Galatasaray's kits used to look.
2. Galatasaray Away Shirt 2013/14
Grey and black with an orange Nike swoosh and Türk Telekom lettering across the chest, worn by Didier Drogba during his one season in Istanbul. Drogba left Chelsea in 2012, spent half a season at Shanghai Shenhua, then signed for Galatasaray in January 2013, and left an unmistakable name on the back of a shirt that otherwise keeps things understated.
3. Galatasaray Home Shirt 2014/15
Red with a bold gold stripe running down the centre of the chest, and a crest marked with the club's founding year and three championship stars. On the back, a gold-trimmed number and the Ülker sponsor, worn by Wesley Sneijder during some of his best seasons in Istanbul. This is Galatasaray in its most recognisable form, the shirt most fans picture first when the club comes up.
Fenerbahçe: yellow and navy since 1907
Cross the Bosphorus and you are in Fenerbahçe territory. Founded two years after Galatasaray, in 1907, the club plays from the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Kadıköy, on Istanbul's Asian side. Fans call the club the Sarı Kanarya, the Yellow Canary, and over the years its shirts have carried two Dutch names that will be familiar to First11's own home crowd: Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt.
1. Fenerbahçe Away Shirt 2011/12
Blue, white and light blue in bold vertical stripes, a world away from Fenerbahçe's usual navy and yellow, with the avea sponsor printed in gold. Gökhan Gönül wore this as a Turkish international full back during his years at the club, and its uniqueness is what pushes it to the top of this list.
2. Fenerbahçe Home Shirt 2008/09
The classic navy and yellow home template, in a bolder, wider stripe than Fenerbahçe's later kits, with the avea sponsor across the chest and a crest marking the 2008-2009 season. Roberto Carlos wore this during the second of his two seasons at the club, having joined in 2007 after leaving Real Madrid, one of the biggest names to ever pull on a Fenerbahçe shirt.
3. Fenerbahçe Third Shirt 2013/14
Navy with bold yellow adidas shoulder stripes and a faint V-shaped pattern across the chest, Türk Telekom in yellow lettering and the Turkish flag on the crest. Worn by Dirk Kuyt in one of his seasons at the club after arriving from Liverpool in 2012. Third kits rarely get this much attention. This one deserves it.
The rivalry
Ask a Fenerbahçe fan about Galatasaray, or the other way round, and you will get an answer before you finish the question. This is not a rivalry that needs explaining to the people who follow it.
What to know before buying a Süper Lig retro shirt
Turkish league shirts moved through the same sponsors and templates as the rest of European football, but sizing habits and label conventions are not always identical to what collectors expect from Premier League or Bundesliga shirts of the same years. Check the measurements on the product page rather than relying on the label size alone, and look closely at the sponsor and crest print: match worn and player issue pieces use flock or heat pressed detailing that differs from the fan version.
Final thoughts
Two clubs, one city, and almost nothing in common except the trophies they keep taking off each other. Whichever side you are drawn to, or neither, the shirts tell a good part of that story on their own.
Common Questions
Why do Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe fans dislike each other so much?
The rivalry goes back over a century and follows the same lines as most Istanbul football arguments: two of the country's biggest clubs, based on opposite sides of the Bosphorus, competing for the same trophies most seasons. There is no single incident behind it, just decades of history.
Which club has won more Süper Lig titles?
Galatasaray holds the record for the most Süper Lig championships of any Turkish club. Fenerbahçe is close behind, and the two have spent most of the league's history trading the title back and forth.
Are these shirts player issue or fan version?
Both. We note match worn and player issue details in the product description whenever a shirt is one of those, and the rest are fan versions from the same clubs and seasons.
Do you ship these shirts outside the Netherlands?
Yes, we ship across Europe and beyond from our showroom in Almelo.
Why do you have shirts worn by Dutch players at Turkish clubs?
Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt all played in Turkey after well known spells elsewhere in Europe, and their shirts from that period are exactly the kind of thing our own customers ask about.
What size should I get for a Süper Lig shirt from the 2010s?
Sizing from this era varies a lot by brand and cut, from boxier shirts that run large to slimmer ones that run small, so the label size alone does not tell you much. Check the measurements on the product page and compare them to a shirt you already own before you order.