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London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday reaffirmed his long-standing support for Galatasaray, recalling the joy he felt when the Turkish club beat north London side Arsenal in the 2000 UEFA Cup final.
The May 17, 2000, final in Copenhagen ended 0-0 after extra time, before Galatasaray secured a 4-1 penalty shootout victory to become the first Turkish club to win a major European trophy.
"Watching Galatasaray beat Arsenal and win the UEFA Cup made me very happy," Khan remarked during a visit to the club's RAMS Park stadium in Istanbul, where he met president Dursun Ozbek alongside a London delegation.
The meeting also included Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk, players Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Sara, London Deputy Mayor Mete Coban and several club executives.
Although Liverpool remains his favorite club, Khan traced his Galatasaray allegiance back to his youth, when Graeme Souness took charge of the Istanbul side.
"My favorite part of my visit was coming to Galatasaray's stadium. It feels like a dream come true," he remarked.
Khan also expressed pride in becoming the first London mayor to make an official visit to Türkiye, highlighting Galatasaray's large following in the British capital, which is home to more than 500,000 people of Turkish origin.
Among them is Deputy Mayor Mete Coban, whose dual allegiance to Galatasaray and Arsenal prompted a playful remark from Khan.
"His first team is Galatasaray, and his second team is Arsenal. I forgive him for supporting Arsenal because he also supports Galatasaray," he joked.
Turning to the Champions League, Khan expressed hope that Liverpool would not meet Galatasaray until the final.
"I hope Liverpool does not face Galatasaray until the final. But we could make history this year. I am a lucky charm, and that is why I believe everything will go well," he added.
Khan also looked forward to returning to Istanbul to celebrate if Galatasaray secure their fifth consecutive league title.
Khan's Türkiye visit follows his participation in the U.N. climate conference COP31 in Antalya, where he represented London as co-chair of the C40 network of global cities.
He subsequently traveled to Istanbul to promote trade and investment ties between the two cities, becoming the first London mayor to make an official visit to Türkiye.
Ozbek welcomed the London mayor, describing his passion for Galatasaray as a source of pride for the club.
"Galatasaray is a club he loves very much. His being such a passionate Galatasaray supporter is a great source of pride for us," the president remarked.
Ozbek invited Khan to attend a match and join the celebrations if the team clinch another league title.
Buruk also revealed that Khan was so fond of Galatasaray that he joked about joining the team, even offering to pay for the opportunity.
"He said he wanted to play for this team. 'I could come for free, and I would even pay on top of that,'" Buruk recalled.
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