Developing football in Türkiye
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Article summary
Türkiye's progress down the years provides a heartening example for the rest of European football, with the Turkish Football Federation constantly striving to develop and nurture the game and its popularity.
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Overview
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has been working towards hitting certain milestones in 2023 – the centenary of the country.
Specifically, the TFF want to ensure they are a best-in-class performer in the technology field, giving football fans new opportunities on their digital platforms and continuing to upgrade its sponsorship model. The federation has been working closely with the country's clubs, with all parties acknowledging the need to develop and ensure sustainability.
UEFA support
UEFA funding, through its HatTrick development programme, has helped take Turkish football forward at a variety of levels. The development of the national teams centre is the flagship achievement.
Riva 'Hasan Doğan' national teams training centre and education facilities
The Riva national training centre was an ageing facility, situated 25km from Istanbul and requiring renovation and rehabilitation work that started in 2008 with HatTrick I funding. The TFF decided to review the project and rebuild the entire centre and extend it with an additional construction area – meaning that the national teams would be hosted in one area offering them accommodation and training facilities.
The offices of the national teams' management and football development division were also moved to centralise all technical activities in one place. This centre includes the following facilities:
- Four full-size pitches (three with natural grass and one with a hybrid system), a half-size natural grass pitch for goalkeeper training, two mini-pitches, with floodlights;
- Rehabilitation and accommodation facilities: swimming and therapy pools, Turkish bath, sauna, massage and treatment rooms, fitness room, 85 bedrooms and 2 suites;
- Recreational areas including tennis courts, mini-golf, artificial lake, walking and running tracks;
- Office space, conference and meeting halls.
Riva 'Hasan Doğan' national teams training centre – extension of the facilities
The Riva national training centre is a very modern facility which was officially inaugurated in 2014. It now hosts all the TFF technical and development divisions. With this project, the TFF has been able to extend the current facilities, in line with its vision of bringing all its operations into a single centre. This project involves the construction of a new facility including the following features:
- Office building divided into three floors, press centre, offices for TFF departments, meeting rooms and praying room
- Hotel section: 82 rooms, 20 of them accessible for people with disabilities
- Conference area: conference room with a total capacity of 700 people and 10 meeting rooms
- Restaurant area, including a kitchen to serve the conference area and hotel
- Fitness area: sauna, therapy pools, dressing rooms, therapy and treatment rooms
- Natural surface grass field of 60m x 90m (outside the campus)
UEFA Foundation for Children in Türkiye
Set up in 2015, the UEFA foundation uses football as a vehicle to help improve children's lives by supporting hundreds of campaigns and projects across Europe and around the world.
Living Together
Türkiye has taken important steps to integrate more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees. However, the youth population – which represents at least half of that number – presents special challenges that need appropriate attention. Syrian youth displaced to Türkiye face enormous difficulties with most coping with anger, trauma and loss.
Promoting peaceful relations between Turkish and Syrian youngsters is a valuable investment for the future of both communities. The project's overall goal is to use football as a tool for building peaceful coexistence, as well as:
- Providing vulnerable Turkish and Syrian children with increased regular access to sports facilities and creating opportunities to interact in a more meaningful way;
- Promoting life skills for children and teenagers, including leadership, conflict resolution, teamwork and communication;
- Promoting positive life outcomes for participating children, including increased educational attainment, enhanced social cohesion, prevention of crime and radicalisation;
- Empowering youngsters to make them role models and engaged citizens.
Timeline
Association history
National team history
President
İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu
Nationality: Turkish
Date of birth: 21 February 1966
Association president since: 2024
General secretary
Abdullah Ayaz
Nationality: Turkish
Date of birth: 1 February 1981
Association general secretary since: 2024