Aziz Yıldırım

Infobox Person
name = Aziz Yıldırım


image_size =
caption = Fenerbahce Chairman
birth_name =
birth_date = birth date and age|1952|11|02
birth_place = Diyarbakır, flagicon|TUR Türkiye
residence =
nationality = flagicon|TUR Türkiye
other_names = Büyük Başkan
known_for = Fenerbahce Chairman
education = University
alma_mater = Ankara Devlet Mühendislik Mimarlık Akademisi
occupation = Businessman, Civil Engineering
home_town = İstanbul
title =
height =
weight =
predecessor = Ali Haydar Şen
successor =


website =

Aziz Yıldırım (born 2 November 1952 in Diyarbakır, Turkey) is currently the 52nd Chairman of Türkiye's one of the biggest sport clubs, Fenerbahce. [ [http://www.fenerbahce.org/eng/kurumsaldetay.asp?ContentID=9 The Board of Directors] ] He is currently serving his fifth two-year term since coming to power. He also has a degree in civil engineering. He did not complete his military service (see Conscription in Turkey), which is controversial as Yıldırım works as an Army Building Contractor. [ [http://www.haber3.com/news_detail.php?id=195953 Did Aziz Yıldırım do his army duty? (Turkish)] ]

Career

He was a professional football player with Diyarbakırspor and Düzcespor. He retired at the age of 27 in 1979, and entered construction business. During his work as an entreupeneur in construction, he spent two seasons as Assistant Chairman at Anadolu Üsküdar in 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. He resumed his career in football administration in 1990 when he became Director of Football at Fenerbahce in 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons. He subsequently took up the post of chairman at Düzcespor between 1993-1995. He became Fenerbahce's chairman in 1998 after Ali Şen's resignation - a position he still holds.

Under his leadership significant changes have been made in the club's structure and infrastructure: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium was expanded to a capacity of 55,000 and given a UEFA 5 Star Rating (in addition to bringing in European stadium features such as corporate boxes and pitch-side stands); %16 of the club went public after being floated on the Istanbul Stock Exchange;. A significant mark of his success was evident in the 2006-2007 season when over 100,000 Fenerbahçe membership cards were sold. All of these achievements have put the club in an ever more competitive position in comparison to rivals (both in footballing and financial terms) Beşiktaş and Galatasaray.

His latest achievement is in bringing Roberto Carlos to Fenerbahçe a move which has brought great prestige to the club on an international stage.

Under his administration Ariel Ortega, Diego Lugano, Fabio Luciano, Kenneth Andersson, Haim Revivo, Serhiy Rebrov, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Alex de Souza, Stephen Appiah, Tuncay Sanli, Nicolas Anelka, Mateja Kežman, Roberto Carlos and Daniel Güiza have all also been brought in; furthering the club's reputation at home and abroad.

External links

* [http://www.maktas.org Maktaş Holding official website]
* [http://www.fenerbahce.org Fenerbahçe official website]

References