The Intercontinental Derby (Turkish: Kıtalararası Derbi), also known as the Eternal Rivalry (Turkish: Ezelî Rekabet), is the name given to any basketball match between Fenerbahçe SK and Galatasaray SK, teams of the Asian and the European parts of Istanbul respectively. Fenerbahçe is the most successful of the two clubs, having won more overall trophies in past seasons (including the highest level tier of European basketball, the EuroLeague trophy, where the winners are considered the biggest team of Europe) and derby games.

Quick Facts Other names, Location ...

The Intercontinental Derby

Other names	Ezelî Rekabet (The Eternal Rivalry)[1] Nefret Derbisi (The Derby of Hate)[2][3][4]
Location	Istanbul, Turkey
Teams	Fenerbahçe SK Galatasaray SK
First meeting	Galatasaray 20–0 Fenerbahçe 24 March 1933; 91 years ago (1933-03-24)
Latest meeting	Fenerbahçe 86–64 Galatasaray (3 April 2023)
Statistics
Meetings total	255
Most wins	Fenerbahçe (132)
All-time series	Fenerbahçe: 132 Drawn: 3 Galatasaray: 120
Post-season history
1984–85: Galatasaray won, 2–1 2011 TBL Playoffs: Fenerbahçe won, 4–2 2014 TBL Playoffs: Fenerbahçe won, 4–3

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According to the official records, in Turkey, basketball was first played in 1904 at Robert College. An American physical education teacher laid the foundations of this sport in Turkey. Seven years later, in 1911, Ahmet Robenson, a physical education teacher at a high school, decided to introduce a new game to the students. Robenson popularized this sport in Turkey.^[5][6]

Galatasaray are considered to be the pioneers in Turkish basketball, and the sport has always been very important for the club.^[7] The team have won 11 national championship titles and 15 Istanbul League titles. Former president of the club, Özhan Canaydın, was a former player of the basketball team.

The men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe was founded in 1913 and achieved considerable success when the sport established itself in Turkey. Fenerbahçe have won seven Istanbul League titles and three national championship titles in 1957, 1959 and 1965, just before the professional nationwide league was founded in 1966, and participated in the European Champions Cup in 1960 and 1966. Their fans had to wait until 1991 for another title, when Levent Topsakal, Larry Richard, and head coach Çetin Yılmaz led Fenerbahçe to the Turkish League title over Tofaş.^[8]

The clubs originate from two different sides of the Bosphorus. Fenerbahçe SK were founded in Kadıköy that is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, while Galatasaray SK were founded in the Beyoğlu district, on the European side of Istanbul. Both clubs naturally draw the majority of their support from the side of the city that they are native to, but maintain a significant majority of support drawn from the rest of Turkey.

• The Intercontinental Derby
• Beşiktaş–Fenerbahçe rivalry (basketball)
• Beşiktaş–Galatasaray rivalry (basketball)