TFF rejects Fenerbahçe's request to postpone Gençlerbirliği match

The Turkish Football Federation rejected Fenerbahçe's request to postpone their away match against Gençlerbirliği in the first week of the Trendyol Super Lig, which the club had sought due to their reluctance to travel. Fenerbahçe Football Director Oğuz Çetin announced the decision to FBTV.

The yellow-and-navy side will visit Gençlerbirliği's stadium on Saturday, August 15, and then play their UEFA Champions League play-off first match against Lyon in Kadıköy on Tuesday evening, August 18. That means two critical matches in three days.

Çetin said, "We have failed to qualify for the Champions League for 17 years; unfortunately our postponement request was not accepted." When recalling earlier periods when the TFF approached similar requests from major clubs differently, the rejection decision takes on added weight. The Lyon series is Fenerbahçe's final step to qualifying for the group stage in Europe.