It is just over two years old, but the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi Turk Telekom Arena stadium, the full name of Galatasaray’s stadium, has become one of the gems of European football. It is adapted to changing times and gives the assurance of being a Category 4 UEFA stadium (like Europe’s great stadiums) but retains the essence and atmosphere of Turkish Hell, as their previous ground was known. With a 52,650 spectator capacity, it is considered one of the loudest arenas in football. It will be the first time that Real Madrid play a match there.
On 15th January 2011 Galatasaray left behind them the nearly 50-year history of the old Ali Sami Yen to move to a new home, with all modern comforts and twice the capacity. Located in the north of the historic centre of Istanbul, the new stadium keeps the name of the club’s founder alongside the name of its main sponsor. Able to accommodate different sports and other events, the sports complex was built as part of Turkey's bid to host Euro 2016, which will take place in France.
If something has not changed from the previous stadium it is the atmosphere that their fans create. For example, the 131.76 decibels reached in March 2011 in a match against Fenerbahce, went into the Guinness World Records. Football in Turkey is a passion, and proof of this is the way they live every moment of the matches with the stands usually filled hours before kick-off. The Real Madrid players will be presented with one of the most hostile environments that will have experience on a football field. After sealing their passage to the quarter-finals in the legendary Old Trafford, Mourinho's team are now looking for a semi-final spot in the Ali Sami Yen.