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Galatasaray celebrates 26th championship in Belgium with Dries Mertens present
🇹🇷 Turkey /Sports

Galatasaray celebrates 26th championship in Belgium with Dries Mertens present

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Galatasaray celebrated its 26th championship title with an event in Brussels, Belgium.
  • The celebration included Galatasaray President Dursun Aydın Özbek, Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, and other dignitaries.
  • President Özbek highlighted the strong friendship between Belgium and Turkey, mentioning past symbolic gestures and visits.

Galatasaray celebrated its 26th championship title with an event in Brussels, Belgium, organized by the Belgium Galatasaray Supporters Association. The celebration brought together club officials, local dignitaries, and fans to commemorate the team's success.

Galatasaray President Dursun Aydın Özbek addressed the attendees, expressing his happiness to be in Brussels and emphasizing the event as a celebration of both Galatasaray's achievements and the sincere friendship between Belgium and Turkey. He recalled symbolic moments, such as the Manneken Pis statue wearing a Galatasaray jersey, and noted how such gestures have strengthened the bond between the club and Belgium.

Dear Belgian friends and Galatasaray fans, I am very happy to be with you today in this uniquely beautiful Grand Place square in Brussels. We have gathered here not only to celebrate Galatasaray's successes but also to salute the sincere friendship between Belgium and Turkey.

— Dursun Aydın ÖzbekPresident of Galatasaray, speaking at the celebration event in Brussels.

Özbek also mentioned the deepening relationship through visits by Belgian officials to Galatasaray's facilities and highlighted the role of sports, education, and culture in bringing people closer. He specifically praised Galatasaray player Dries Mertens, calling him a symbol of the connection between Belgium and Turkey and a cherished member of the Galatasaray family.

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close also spoke, acknowledging the significant friendship and enthusiasm surrounding Galatasaray. He recognized the club's global reach and the strong community it fosters. The event underscored the cultural ties and shared passion that connect Galatasaray fans and supporters in both countries.

The friendship and excitement surrounding Galatasaray are extremely important. When I hosted the fans here, I truly realized what a big club and community it is. Galatasaray has fans all over the world.

— Philippe CloseMayor of Brussels, speaking at the celebration event.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.