Fenerbahçe’s return to the UEFA Champions League has ended an 18-year wait and brought a new kind of excitement to supporters who were too young to remember its previous campaign. The club is back in the main competition for the first time since 2008/09. For two Fenerbahçe fans I spoke to, this season is their first opportunity to watch their team in this arena.

The return also puts Fenerbahçe alongside local rivals Galatasaray in the 2026/27 league phase. That gives the story a wider Turkish football angle, beyond the celebrations of one club.

Memories and missed opportunities

Fenerbahçe reached the quarter-finals in 2007/08 and returned to the group stage the following season. UEFA’s history records show several later attempts to qualify, including a play-off appearance in 2025/26, but none took the club back into the main stage until this season.

That history helps explain the difference between older and younger supporters. Some can remember the earlier European campaigns. Others have grown up hearing about them, without having a clear memory of watching their own team at this level. The new campaign gives those younger fans something they can experience themselves.

The night that secured the return

Fenerbahçe sealed qualification by beating Lyon 2-1 away on August 26. Vedat Muriqi and Archie Brown scored, and the result secured a 3-2 aggregate victory after a 1-1 draw in Istanbul. The decisive result came away from home, making the second leg a test of whether the team could finish the job under pressure. Winning that tie changed the focus of the season: supporters could finally look ahead to league-phase opponents rather than another qualifying-round disappointment.

A personal connection

My whole family supports Fenerbahçe, and I am a passionate fan myself. I have been a club member for three years. For me, Fenerbahçe is a passion and much more than a football team. That personal connection is why I wanted to write about its return to the Champions League.

A competitive start against Roma

The opening league-phase match ended in a 1-1 home draw against Roma on September 10. Bryan Cristante gave the visitors the lead, but Archie Brown equalised early in the second half. Nathan Aké later hit the crossbar as Fenerbahçe pushed for a winner.

One point does not tell us how the whole campaign will go. Still, coming back after falling behind offered an encouraging opening. The next challenge is to turn that performance into consistent results, rather than letting the excitement of qualification become the main achievement of the season.

What the return means to supporters

Two Fenerbahçe-supporting friends (Onat Onan 24,Serbia /Yiğit Yarmalı 22,Milan) described the Champions League as being in the club’s DNA. Both also talked about the excitement of watching Fenerbahçe in this competition for the first time in their lives. Their comments combined a belief that the club belongs at this level with the personal feeling of finally seeing it happen.

A Galatasaray-supporting friend (Deha Güçlü 22,Brighton) offered a different perspective. He said that having two Turkish clubs in the Champions League after so many years was a beautiful and proud moment for the country. His reaction showed that, for at least one rival supporter, the significance of Turkish representation went beyond club loyalty.

These three views do not represent every fan. However, they show how the same return can mean a first personal experience for one supporter and national pride for another.

The economic opportunity

The financial rewards are another reason qualification matters. According to beIN SPORTS’ report on the provisional 2026/27 distribution, each league-phase participant can expect an initial allocation of €18.62 million. A league-phase win is worth €2.1 million and a draw €700,000. These figures are competition payments, not the club’s net profit or its confirmed total earnings.

Beyond UEFA payments, the campaign could increase demand for tickets and merchandise and make the club more attractive to sponsors. These are potential benefits rather than measured gains. Extra revenue could support players, facilities or other needs, but European participation also brings costs. How the money is used matters as much as how much arrives.

For Fenerbahçe, the return has already given younger supporters a European experience they had long been waiting for. The results ahead will decide how far that excitement carries into the season. Qualification is a milestone; building on it is the next task which is facing the Premier League team Aston Villa on next Wednesday, October 14, at Villa Park.

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In the heart of Central Europe, Hungary’s history is not just written in books; it runs on four legs across the plains. From the iconic Puli with its mop-like coat to the sleek, golden-coated Vizsla, Hungarian dog breeds are living emblems of the nation’s spirit. Once bred to herd livestock, guard farms, and accompany hunters, these dogs tell a story of resilience, tradition, and an unbreakable bond between people and animals. Today, they are not only symbols of national pride but also beloved companions around the world.

Of all the Hungarian shepherd dogs, the history of the Puli is perhaps the most difficult to unravel. Indeed, we often read that it arrived with our conquering ancestors, but there is no concrete evidence to support this. The Puli, as we know it today, was definitely discovered in the 20th century, and since then, its triumphal march has been unstoppable. Interestingly, no matter how beautiful their dog was, shepherds only tolerated dogs that worked well. A puppy of a well-working, famous herding dog was very valuable; even a cow was given in exchange for one. The Puli is still a shepherd’s helper today, but it also holds its own as a family dog. It is kind, intelligent, and brave, which makes them my favorite breed, although undoubtedly a barking one. It is bred in several colors and has become extremely popular abroad.

The word Pumi appeared in 1801, but at that time, it still generally meant a shepherd dog and did not refer to the breed. After that, the Puli and the Pumi were considered the same breed. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, the Pumi was considered a geographically separate regional variant of the Puli. The exact description of the breed was only developed in 1924. The Pumi was a rather heterogeneous dog for a long time, and it was also selected based on its characteristics rather than its appearance. Even today, you can see ‘almost Pumi’ dogs that resemble the Pumi, of course, not purebred, without a pedigree. The Pumi is a mixed breed. The Pumi is being kept by an increasing number of people, which is no coincidence, as it is very intelligent. However, since it is very agile and playful, it is not suitable for apartment living and can only be recommended to an owner who can handle it well.

Although the Komondor is most certainly the oldest Hungarian dog breed, we know very little about its origins. Experts connect their emergence to the Cumans, who were a Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia. Its name is etymologically related to the Cumanic toponym, which is why it is supposed that they brought it into the Carpathian Basin in the 13^thcentury. Male dogs’ height at the withers can reach up to 80 cm, weighing around 60 kg, making them our biggest dog breed. They are easily recognizable with their iconic fur, like the Puli’s. In the past, he mostly protected the herd from wolves and outlaws, but he was also an excellent guardian of farmyard animals. There used to be dust grey and black Komondors; however, today, they only breed them in white. The Komondor is attached to its owner but distrustful of strangers. Due to its large size, it needs a lot of exercise.

The Vizsla is among the most recognized Hungarian dog breeds today, its history reaches back several centuries. Experts trace its roots to the Magyar tribes who arrived in the Carpathian Basin around the 10th century, bringing versatile hunting dogs that would later evolve into the modern Vizsla. The breed’s name means ‘pointer’ in Hungarian, reflecting its natural hunting instinct and remarkable ability to locate game. Male dogs typically stand around 60 cm at the withers and weigh between 25 and 30 kg. With their short, smooth, golden-rust coat and lean, muscular build, Vizslas embody both elegance and athleticism. Originally bred as hunting companions for the nobility, they are known for their loyalty, intelligence, and affectionate nature. Today, the Vizsla remains a beloved family dog, thriving on human companionship and needing plenty of activity to match its energetic temperament.

Each of Hungary’s native breeds tells its own story of loyalty, strength, and spirit. These dogs continue to embody the heart of the Hungarian people. To know them is to understand a small but powerful piece of Hungary itself.

Facts of this article were obtained from the Rex Kutyaotthon Alapítvány dog shelter.

Photos by Krisztina Géczi

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