The match between Turkey and Romania can also be found in the parallel between the heads of the clubs in the two domestic leagues, which give the bulk of the selectables for the match on March 26. The paper presents a scan of the profile and fortunes of those who control the big teams in the two countries. Gigi Becali and Dan Șucu offer the biggest surprises at the financial level, but with diametrically opposite routes in terms of performance, plus major differences in terms of club management policies vis-a-vis Turkey
- Turkey – Romania will be played on Thursday, March 26, from 19:00, match broadcast by Prima TV. If we win, we play the qualification final against Slovakia/Kosovo on March 31, 2026.
- Gazeta Sporturilur will have 6 experienced reporters in Istanbul, who will send the most important information, reports and a series of multimedia correspondence.
The big match in Istanbul on the way to the World Cup it is not only a dispute on the field, but also a clash between two separate worlds in the philosophy of understanding and managing football. And one of the most interesting perspectives comes from the parallel between the owners who lead the big clubs in the two countries, groups that finally offer an important number of players for the dispute scheduled for March 26.
The triplet Galatasaray (6) – Fener (5) – Beşiktaş (1) will be represented by 12 players, and the quartet FCSB (3) – U Craiova (4) – Rapid (3) – CFR (1) offers a comparable figure, 11.
So, who are the “heavies” who run Turkey's golden triangle versus the people who control the important teams in League 1, where Mircea Lucescu picked some of his squads for the play-off semi-final to the WC?
Fener's chairman: media mogul, arrested in big drug scandal, chased from Dortmund
Sadettin Saran, the president of Fenerbahce, was released on bail in the drug case / Photo: Imago
In Turkey, there are no top club patrons in the true sense of the word. Galata, Fener and Beşiktaş are headed by presidents elected by members with mandates for different periods.
By the way, Fener is currently bossed by Sadettin Saran, a Turkish-American businessman, installed at the helm in September 2025. Born in Denver (USA), he studied mechanical engineering at Kentucky University, benefiting from a sports scholarship, and did competitive swimming. He was even the captain of the Turkish national swimming team in 1984-1985.
He founded Saran Holding in 1990 and operates in multiple industries such as media, internet, cinematography, aviation, tourism, betting. Through the Saran Media company, it controls about 65% of the TV rights of sports events in Turkey, including the championships in Spain, England, Italy, plus the European cups.
Dortmund's famous fans had a decisive say in Saran's expulsion from Borussia in the early 2000s. Photo: imago
He has an estimated fortune of 500 million euros, and at the end of last year he ended up being involved in a big drug scandal, being tested positive for cocaine as part of an extensive investigation that targeted well-known names in showbiz and business. Arrested, he was released after a night spent in police custody, and the file is still being processed in Istanbul.
He owned a minority stake in Borussia Dortmund in the early 2000s, he even wanted to buy the club in a delicate period with the help of some American investment funds, but he faced severe opposition from the fans, who very vocally rejected his presence at the club and his intention to become the boss of the yellow and black.
The boss from Galata: empire in tourism, Cim Bom – massive domestic dominance
Dursun Ozbek is the man who manages Galata's supremacy in recent years in Turkey. Photo: imago
The president of Galata is Dursun Ozbek, reinstated in 2022, after leading Cim Bom in the period 2015-2018. A graduate of Istanbul Technical University, he runs a business in the hospitality industry, having a network of hotels spread across the country. It is also a major player in the area of auto parts distribution.
With a fortune estimated at around 300 million euros, he is a president focused on the massive increase in income from sponsorships, aiming to attract over 100 million euros from this sector alone. His tenure is a formidable one for supporters as well, with three titles, a Cup and a Super Cup won since his reinstatement, all with Okan Buruk on the bench.
Galatasaray has won the last three titles in Turkey // PHOTO: Imago Images
Beşiktaş boss: ultra-diversified business, no galactic transfers, investigated for match-fixing
And at the head of Beşiktaş is Serdar Adali, since December 2024. The owner of Adali Holding, with an age of over 50 years, has businesses in construction, logistics and industrial services, energy, tourism and real estate. It also operates abroad (Iraq, USA, Africa) and has partnerships with various American government agencies.
Wealth: 400 million euros. In Beşiktaş, he imposed the business style on the organization as well, being focused on debt reduction and financial stability. He is not a fan of galactic transfers like Icardi (Galatasaray) or Mourinho (Fenerbahce).
Serdar Adali also went through an investigation related to match-fixing in Turkey 15 years ago. Photo: imago
In fact, Beşiktaş is recognized as the most weighted club among the big ones in Turkey, with lower budgets and less spectacular managerial policies than Galata or Fener.
Adali was arrested in 2011 in a wide-ranging match-fixing investigation in Turkey, spent several months in pre-trial detention, but was released and escaped with no convictions and no record.
Gigi Becali: FCSB toy, one billion euros, performances and prison
Gigi Becali leads FCSB in a completely unmistakable style
Things are different in League One, where the big four clubs that are now signing players are directly owned by owners, each with full control, without any real influence from supporters or strong and serious Boards of Directors.
At FCSB, Gigi Becali has his favorite toy that he juggles every day from changes and training to transfers and contracts. His fortune is estimated at around one billion euros, but the approximation is a relative one based on the land he owns in Bucharest and in the country.
FCSB has gone through all the stages in the Gigi Becali era, from brilliant moments to embarrassing collapses. Photo Cristi Preda (GSP)
Nor was the declaration of assets published when he entered the Chamber of Deputies, in 2024, relevant from the point of view of his assets and businesses, because part of them went to the names of his three daughters, Teodora, Alexandra and Cristina. He ended up in prison between 2013-2015, in the case of land exchanges with the Ministry of Defense.
But the Gigi Becali era, beyond the identity dispute with Steaua, also brought a collection of remarkable performances, from 2003 onwards: 7 titles, 3 Cups, 3 Supercups, 2 League Cups, a semi-final of the UEFA Cup and twice “eighties” in the Europa League, the last time in 2025.
Varga, CFR: uncertain fortune, mysterious business, football-carousel
Ioan Varga, the boss of CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is in the court of Ioan Varga, with an unstable and controversial management. From major investments at certain times to situations on the verge of collapse for the Transylvanians, plus the insistence on sometimes inexplicably spending substantial sums on famous “spikes” such as Baptista or Zouma, the club's financier runs an unpredictable carousel in Gruia.
Also, his wealth is a true mystery, generally estimated at around 300 million euros. The moments in which they flaunt stacks of gold bullion contrast with episodes in which the players and staff accumulate months of debt and the dressing room is on the verge of exploding. Instead, CFR collected under his tenure the sensational run of five consecutive titles between 2018-2022. Runs businesses in energy and construction.
Dan Șucu: 1.5 billion euros, “dust” in terms of football performance
Dan Șucu has a fabulous fortune, but a miserable route with Rapidul. PHOTO: Ionuț Iordache, GSP)
Dan Șucu took over Rapidul in 2022, he initially entered with a 50% stake in the business, after which he ended up controlling a 90% stake, in partnership with Victor Angelescu (10%). He integrated Giulești into a multi-club project, alongside Genoa.
However, the project currently means zero performances for Rapid, which is in the battle for the title this season, towards the first potential trophy of the “Șucu era”. The businessman is involved in the retail & furniture industry, media, sports, real estate.
His fortune is estimated at around 1.5 billion euros, a figure presented in the Forbes 2024 list, in which the boss from Giulești was in 24th place. The level places him above all three presidents from Galata, Fener and Beşiktaş combined!
Mihai Rotaru: a provincial Gigi Becali, troubled paths in business
Mihai Rotaru, patron of the University of Craiova
The last one on the list, Mihai Rotaru from U Craiova, became the main financier of Olteni, and a year later he took over the operational control of the club by reorganizing the company. Main businesses: agriculture, energy, real estate, stock market.
Rotaru's fortune is around 300 million euros. In Craiova, there is a “Gigi Becali-type” management model, with abrupt interventions by the patronage at all levels, but displayed in a more behind-the-curtain style.
-
8 titles won the treble Galata (5) – Fener (0) – Beşiktaş (3) in the last ten seasons, and in League 1 7 titles went to FCSB (2) – Rapid (0) – CFR Cluj (5) – U Craiova (0) in the same period of time
