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Ali Sami Yen Stadium

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Ali Sami Yen Stadium is home to Galatasaray and is located in the Mecidiyekoy part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen. The stadium's capacity is 25,000.

In 1940, the main stadium of Taksim was destroyed, and the teams from Istanbul's Beyoglu quarter had to find a new stadium to play in. Galatasaray decided to build a big, modern stadium and construction began in 1943. Because it was difficult during World War II, they made a stadium with small stands which opened in 1945. But building continued on the site and the stadium was finished in 1964.

Ali Sami Yen stadium was inaugurated on December 14, 1964 with a friendly game between Turkey and Bulgaria. Spotlights were added to the stadium in 1965, and games began to be played there at night (the lighting system was renovated in 1993). The stadium is made of 2 identical lateral stands, partially covered by a roof: the Numarali stand (where the cameras are) and the Kapali stand, where the most fanatical fans stay. The two other stands, behind the goals, are the Yeni Acik, with 2 floors, and the Eski Acik, with the giant scoreboard.

In the past, games were played with more than 40,000 spectators in this stadium, which is nicknamed "Hell" by Galatasaray's supporters because of its intimidating atmosphere and the enthusiastic support of the fans who often make mass use of torches, smoke, drums, flags and giant posters to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams. Ali Sami Yen is important for Galatasaray because it has seen many victories against renowned European football clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven. However, Galatasaray has been playing its recent European matches in the new Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

It is located in Mecidiyekoy, one of the most crowded parts of Istanbul, surrounded by urban development. In recent years, there have been many proposals to demolish the current stadium and build a new stadium on the same site, but this is impossible due to problems of space. Today, Galatasaray is planning to build a new stadium in another quarter of Istanbul, Seyrantepe, whose name was changed to Aslantepe ("Lion Hill"), after Galatasaray bought the ground. The idea is to realize a stadium on the model of the ArenA in Amsterdam, and complete it in 16 months. The building of the new stadium will start January 2007. The new stadium will have a capacity of 52,500 making it the biggest stadium in Turkey, owned by a club. It will also feature a moving ground and a hydraulic dome at the top that can close in case of rain or snow . There are also plans for shopping mall and residential units construction in the Aslantepe Project.


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