Fenerbahçe hopeful seeks vote-winner, but Farioli stays put | OneFootball

After finishing the Turkish league in second place, behind rivals Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe entered an election period, with members about to choose the club’s next president.

Two strong names have emerged in the race: Aziz Yildirim, a key figure in the club who led the institution between 1998 and 2018, and Hakan Safi, a prominent businessman who was part of Fenerbahçe’s board.

Now, according to the Turkish press, Safi has turned his attention to the Estádio do Dragão in search of an electoral trump card: Francesco Farioli. During recent visits to several associations linked to the Istanbul club, the candidate made it clear that he wants to hire a coach “who knows the league well,” a profile that fits the FC Porto manager, who began his solo career at Karagumruk and then moved on to Alanyaspor.

With that criterion met, the Italian is being tipped as Hakan Safi’s choice for the blue-and-yellows’ bench, after they ended the season with caretaker coach Zeki Gole in charge. Even so, and as Farioli himself has repeatedly said, his future lies in remaining at FC Porto for at least one more season, meaning the Turkish businessman’s plans are likely to come to nothing.

The 37-year-old Italian coach led the Dragons to the national title and, in 2026/27, will have the chance to make his UEFA Champions League debut at the helm of the blue-and-white side.

Finally, it should be remembered that Jorge Jesus, on his way out of Al Nassr, admitted the possibility of returning to Turkey through the door of Fenerbahçe, the club he coached in 2022/23. “I may still have unfinished business at Fenerbahçe. There has already been interest, not only from Fenerbahçe; another Turkish team also approached me,” said the Portuguese coach after winning the Saudi title.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.