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Turkish-American businessman Steven Sadettin Saran was elected president of Fenerbahce Sports Club on Sunday, ending fellow industry mogul Ali Koc’s seven-year tenure after years of criticism over the team’s lack of titles.
Saran’s election comes amid fans’ calls for change following Fenerbahce’s failure to win the Turkish Super Lig since 2014, with criticism intensifying after the dismissal of world-renowned Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho following the team’s elimination by Benfica in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
Steven Sadettin Saran, who heads Saran Group with investments in media, broadcasting, and sports, previously served on Fenerbahce’s board of directors and has maintained close ties with the club throughout his career.
Born in 1964 in Denver, Colorado, to a Turkish father and an American mother, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky and began his career in the defense industry before founding Saran Group in 1995.
Today, he leads the Istanbul-based conglomerate, which has expanded into tourism and defense alongside its core activities in media and sports, operating brands and subsidiaries such as S Sport, Radyo Music, Radyo Traffic, Saran Defense Systems, and Saran Turizm.
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