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Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, famous for its football section. Galatasaray S.K. was founded in 1905, by Ali Sami Yen and his fellows from the prestigious Galatasaray High School. Galatasaray is the most successful club in the history of Turkish football, having won more trophies than any other Turkish club.
Galatasaray holds the best international record by a Turkish team as well. They became the first Turkish club to capture a major European title, beating Arsenal of England in the UEFA Cup final during the 1999--2000 season. They lifted another prestigious trophy when they beat Los Galácticos, the UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid, in the Super Cup same year. Galatasaray topped the world club ranking to be named "Best Football Club in the World" in January 2001.
Recently, Galatasaray has won the 2007-2008 Turkish Super League title and will be one of the two teams representing Turkey in the 2008-2009 Champions League. Nine Galatasaray players were selected to play for their national teams at the Euro 2008 finals.


Since there were not any Turkish teams, Galatasaray joined the Istanbul League that was consisting of English and Greek teams in the season of 1905--1906. With their first championship title they won in 1907--1908, they heralded the beginning of Turkish football history.
While the football in Turkey began to fully develop, Galatasaray won ten more Istanbul League titles, six Sunday League titles and three Friday League titles until 1952. Upon recognition of professional football in 1952, the first professional but nonnational league of Turkey, Istanbul Professional League played between 1952 and 1959. Galatasaray won three of these seven titles.
Türkiye Profesyonel 1. Ligi (today it is organized with the name Turkcell Super League) formed in 1959. This is the top-flight professional league in Turkish nationwide football, and the most popular sporting competition in the country. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 17 league titles since then
The Turkish Football Federation starts to organize "Turkish Cup" (today it is organized with the name Fortis Turkey Cup) in the 1962--63 season for Turkish clubs to qualify for the UEFA competitions. This is the only national cup competition in Turkey. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 14 trophies since then.
Probably the greatest record that club holds is winning national championships in 15 different sport branches in 1986--87 season
Galatasaray's most successful era came in late 1990s, when the club won the UEFA Cup and European Super Cup and becoming the first Turkish football club ever to win a European trophy. They were aided in this by one of Turkey's best generation of home grown footballers who went on to finish third in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and played quarter finals of UEFA Euro 2000. Besides the talented players, visiting teams also disliked traveling into Ali Sami Yen Stadium which is literally called "Hell&quo t; by the supporters of Galatasaray due to the intimidating atmosphere provided by the fans including chants and riots in the crowds.
Galatasaray is the only team to have won the Turkish League title, the Turkish Cup, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in the same season. Galatasaray holds the record of winning four consecutive Turkish league titles, which all of these came under the coaching of Fatih Terim and the visionary club president Faruk Süren.