Istanbul's Hardest Transfer: Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe
Turkish football's most taboo move. The players who wore both shirts, and why the list is shorter than you would expect.
In Turkey, moving between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe is not treated as a transfer. It is treated as a defection, a decision that follows a player for the rest of his career and, often, beyond it.
The list of those who did it anyway is shorter than the equivalent list in Milan or Liverpool, but it contains some of Turkish football's biggest names.
The direct crossings
Tanju Çolak was among the most prolific strikers in Turkish football history, scoring heavily for Galatasaray in the late 1980s. His 1989 move to Fenerbahçe was the most discussed transfer of its era. He finished as league top scorer at both clubs.
Saffet Sancaklı moved from Kocaelispor to Galatasaray and later played for Fenerbahçe. He is remembered less for the football than for the pressure that followed.
Fatih Akyel and Servet Çetin both spent significant periods in defence at each club, with Servet best remembered for captaining Galatasaray.
Foreign players face a softer version
An observable pattern: when foreign players make this move, the reaction is milder. Without the cultural attachment, the decision reads as professional rather than personal.
Elvir Bolić scored the goal that ended Manchester United's 40-year unbeaten home record in Europe, playing for Fenerbahçe at Old Trafford in 1996. He also played for Galatasaray.
Haim Revivo played for Fenerbahçe from 2000 to 2003 before joining Galatasaray, and was important at both, a rare example of the move being absorbed without lasting damage.
Colin Kazım-Richards played for Fenerbahçe before moving to Galatasaray. Born in England, he went on to represent Turkey.
Bruma left Galatasaray as a young player, spent years in Europe, and returned to Turkey with Fenerbahçe.
Michy Batshuayi played for Fenerbahçe in 2023-24 before joining Galatasaray, becoming one of the most recent additions to this list.
The indirect route
Turkish football has developed a workaround: put a club in between.
Emre Belözoğlu came through Galatasaray's academy, played for Inter and Newcastle, then joined Fenerbahçe and captained them for years. The intervening period changed how the move was read entirely.
Caner Erkin began at Galatasaray, reached Fenerbahçe via CSKA Moscow, and later played for Beşiktaş. One of very few to appear for all three Istanbul giants.
Sergen Yalçın, though identified with Beşiktaş, played for both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe across his career.
Why the list is short
Milan's two clubs have shared more than thirty-five players. Istanbul's figure is far lower.
Club identity in Turkey functions as personal identity, and players feel that directly. Clubs also treat selling to a rival as a loss of standing, and reject offers on that basis alone. The result is that the indirect route, via a third club, and preferably a foreign one, has become the established path.
In the game
When these two clubs appear together in Common, most players assume no answer exists. Then memory catches up.
Every name above is valid, and the list is not exhaustive.
By decade
The distribution across eras tells its own story.
| Era | Notable names | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | Tanju Çolak, Selçuk Yula | Direct moves, severe backlash |
| 1990s | Saffet Sancaklı, Elvir Bolić | Foreign players increasing |
| 2000s | Haim Revivo, Fatih Akyel, Servet Çetin | Moves begin to normalise |
| 2010s | Colin Kazım-Richards, Caner Erkin | Indirect route becomes standard |
| 2020s | Bruma, Michy Batshuayi | Almost entirely foreign players |
The clearest trend: since the 2000s, direct crossings have been left almost exclusively to foreign players. For Turkish players, the intermediate club has become the rule.
What happens afterwards
Careers that cross this line share a pattern: the first season at the new club usually falls short of expectations.
The reasons are largely non-footballing. Crowd pressure, constant media reminders and the player's own need to prove the decision all affect performance. The first derby is a threshold of its own, most players choose not to celebrate if they score.
Those who survive the adjustment tend to stay a long time. Revivo and Emre Belözoğlu are the clearest examples.
Frequently asked
Do loan spells count?
In Common, yes, provided the player made competitive appearances. The records list him as that club's player.
Are youth spells enough?
No. The game looks for senior competitive appearances.
Is the list complete?
No. These are the best-known names; records from roughly 1950-1980 are less accessible and contain others.
This pairing appears often in Common and catches most players out.