Galatasaray Strive To Make History As Istanbul Stages First UWCL Tie

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 5: The players of the Galatasaray women's football team, who became ... [+] champions, posed for photographers with the championship trophy before the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Sivasspor at Rams Park on May 5, 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Seskim Photo/MB Media/Getty Images)

In the 24th year of the competition, Istanbul will stage its first-ever UEFA Women's Champions League tie this week as Galatasaray SK attempt to reach the group stage.

The reigning Turkish champions will host Slavia Prague at their iconic 53,798-capacity Ali Sam Yen Stadium in the first leg of their Round 2 tie. Galatasaray became the first Turkish side to come through the opening round of the competition in eleven years after defeating hosts Racing Union of Luxembourg and BIIK Shymkent of Kazakhstan in a four-team mini-tournament.

Their Czech striker Andrea Stašková, said to be the first openly gay player signed by a Turkish club, scored in both games and the former Sparta Prague player will be a key figure playing against many of her compatriots. Ranked 104 places above their Turkish opponents in the UEFA club coefficient, Slavia Prague are taking part in the competition for an eleventh successive season, reaching the quarter-finals in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

ST. POELTEN, AUSTRIA - DECEMBER 08: Slavia Praha team pose for a picture ahead of the UEFA Women's ... [+] Champions League group B match between SKN St. Pölten and Slavia Praha at NV Arena on December 08, 2022 in St. Poelten, Austria. (Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images)

Their current striker Klára Cvrčková admitted that "the draw has undoubtedly assigned us a strong opponent with a rich football history. We respect their strength, but at the same time I believe in the quality of our team. We are preparing for such matches with maximum commitment and we know that we have a tough double match ahead of us."

Since the sixteen-team group stage of the competition was introduced in 2021, only sixteen nations have been represented and just two from Eastern Europe - Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv of Ukraine and Vllaznia of Albania. The champions of Belgium, Croatia, Scotland, Slovenia and Turkey all have the opportunity to break new ground in the final round of qualification this week.

Turkey did not have a single entrant in the UEFA Women's Champions League in any of the first nine editions of the competition. In 2010, Gazi Üniversitesi, the university team of Ankara became the country's first representatives in the tournament finishing bottom of a four-team qualification group in Denmark losing 12-0 to the hosts Brøndby IF.

Ataşehir Belediyesi, from a suburb of Istanbul qualified for the next two seasons as Turkish champions. In the second of those, they became the first women's team from their country to win in European competition defeating Gintra Universitetas of Lithuania in their opening game but nonetheless failed to qualify out of their group.

For the following three seasons, Turkey were represented by Konak Belediyesi of Izmir. In 2013, they made a stunning debut by winning all three games of their qualification group to reach the last 32. There against Poland's RTP Unia Racibórz, 3,532 fans were at the İzmir Alsancak Stadium to watch Konak win the first-ever Women's Champions League match staged in Turkey, drawing the second leg to make the last 16.

NYON, SWITZERLAND - JUNE 27: Konak Belediyesi GSK is drawn during the UEFA Womens Champions League ... [+] qualifying round draw at the UEFA headquarters on June 27, 2013 in Nyon, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

Their journey ended there with a 6-0 aggregate defeat to Neulengbach of Austria but it remains the country's best performance in the competition. Reaching the last 16 would be a feat Galatasaray could emulate by qualifying for the group stage next week.

The most successful club in the Turkish game, Galatasaray's women's section was only founded in 2011 as a side for young girls. Paralleling Manchester United in England, the club made the decision to close down the women's football department in 2016 due to economic circumstances before eventually launching a senior women's side in 2021.

It took them just three seasons to win their first Turkish Super League title, finishing two points ahead of the previous year's champions Ankara BB FOMGET. Together with their men's team, the two domestic national champion squads celebrated their respective achievements in front of 52,430 supporters at the Ali Sam Yen Stadium in May.

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - MAY 27: Galatasaray Women's football team players lift the their trophy during ... [+] the Galatasaray football team's Turkish Super League championship celebrations at RAMS Park in Istanbul, Turkiye on May 27, 2024. Galatasaray became the champions of the 2023-2024 season of the Turkish Super Lig. Galatasaray women's football team, which finished the Turkish Women's Football Super League as the leader and became the champion, also lifted the championship trophy at RAMS Park. (Photo by Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Their head coach Metin Ülgen said "I am very happy we have written the name Galatasaray as champions. We had believed in it since the beginning of the season. We were very disciplined. We worked day and night. I don’t know of a greater happiness than this. We have bigger tasks on our shoulders, and we want to do these tasks in the best way possible and be successful in Europe."

Semi-finalists in the 1989 European Cup, the Galatasaray men's team made their name across the continent with their performances in the 1990s against the backdrop of a fearsome home support in Istanbul. Their "Welcome To Hell" banner for the visit of Manchester United in 1993 become a trademark of Champions League nights at the Ali Sam Yen Stadium.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 29: A general view inside the stadium with fans and supporters of ... [+] Galatasaray with banners and text welcome to hell during the Group A - UEFA Champions League 2023/24 match between Galatasaray A.S. and Manchester United at the Ali Sami Yen Arena on November 29, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Ülgen believes those same fans pushed his team to the Super League title and could make the difference in Europe. "They did not leave us alone, they motivated us. We are giving this great happiness to them as a gift. As we said, our aim is to be successful in Europe. To be able to make Galatasaray's name heard in Europe."