WELCOME TO HELL, JOSE

If Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce wasn’t already incendiary enough, Jose Mourinho’s first derby visit to the Ali Sami Yen promised more fireworks than ever. Naturally, FFT headed to Istanbul to witness a typically toxic Intercontinental Derby...

- Words Ed McCambridge

It wasn't money that built these domes, these minarets," goes the legendary Turkish poet Arif Nihat Asya’s ode to his beloved Istanbul, “but love.” Domes remains a cherished work of Turkish literature long after the 1975 death of Asya, whose fabled writings capture the chaos, beauty and warmth of a city founded more than 2,500 years ago.

It's much to FFT’s chagrin, therefore, that we arrive to find Istanbul in the grip of a cold snap. It’s been snowing heavily for weeks, and it’s grey clouds and minus temperatures that greet us as we step onto the airport tarmac.

Thankfully, we've not come to Turkey for its bustling bazaars or sandy beaches, but for a football match of explosive reputation: Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce. Forming two-thirds of Turkey's ‘Big Three’ - alongside fellow Istanbul outfit Besiktas - Gala and Fener are the nation’s two most widely supported and successful clubs, with 25 and 28 league titles respectively.

Their showdowns are among world football’s fiercest, and regularly decide the title race outcome, with a divide as physical as it is metaphorical. Separated by the Bosphorus, a strait running through Istanbul's heart that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, they're on different continents: Gala in Europe, Fener in Asia. Two worlds collide in the Intercontinental Derby, and the results are often tectonic.

“I’ve played in some massive derbies and trust me when I tell you that this is among the biggest,” former Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Galatasaray striker Lukas Podolski tells FourFourTwo. “You play football for games like this. The atmosphere is just unbelievable - it’s hard to compare it to anything else.

“Turkish fans have so much passion for their teams. As a player, you can feel the hatred and love from the stands. You need to be there to fully understand the emotion. When Galatasaray play Fenerbahce, the whole country stops and takes it in.”