Senior executives from Turkish football family and European football gathered for a gala dinner organized on the inauguration of UEFA's new office, set to open in Istanbul tomorrow following contacts by Turkish Football Federation.

Held at Çırağan Palace Kempinski, the dinner was attended by TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, presidents and delegates of UEFA member associations, TFF Honorary President Şenes Erzik, former TFF presidents Servet Yardımcı and Nihat Özdemir, Turkish Super League Professional Football Clubs Association (Super League Clubs Association) President Ali Koç, Turkish League 1 Clubs Association President Ecmel Faik Sarıalioğlu, Turkish League 2 Clubs Foundation President Şaban Hakan Bolat, Turkish League 3 Clubs Association President Hacı Osman Altınkaya, presidents and executives of Turkish Super League clubs, TFF Vice Presidents Mecnun Otyakmaz, Fuat Göktaş and Prof. Dr. H. Zehra Neşe Kavak, TFF Board Members Cengiz Gökay, Zafer Bahadır Saraç, Mevlüt Aktan, Hasan Surözü, Mustafa Temel Bozbağ, Ural Aküzüm, Bilal Arslan, Murat Şahin, Fazlı Çilingir, Tahir Ediz Kıray, Muhammet Akçay and Esma Ersin, Men's Senior National Team Head Coach Vincenzo Montella, Women's Senior National Team Head Coach Necla Güngör Kıragası, TFF General Secretary Abdullah Ayaz, TFF Senior Advisor Yusuf Yerkel, UEFA Executive Committee Members and senior officials, senior executives from the media and sponsor companies.

TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu: "Tomorrow, we will implement an important collaboration for both European and Turkish football"

Speaking after the cocktail preceding the dinner, TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu underlined that the UEFA Istanbul Office, whose opening ceremony will take place tomorrow, is a historic step for both European and Turkish football.

Opening his remarks by addressing the earthquake whose epicenter was Istanbul and which was felt in surrounding provinces, TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu said, "I would like to begin my speech with the earthquake that occurred in Istanbul. Our greatest consolation is that no lives were lost in the tremor. May God never let our nation experience such pain again. Distinguished UEFA President Mr. Aleksander Čeferin, Presidents and delegates from the member federations of UEFA, Former Presidents of Turkish Football Federation who have served before us and are here today, having handed over the responsibility to us, Valued President of Turkish Super League Professional Football Clubs Association and Presidents of Turkish Super League clubs, dear guests. I respectfully greet you all on behalf of Turkish Football Federation. Tomorrow, we will implement an important collaboration for both European and Turkish football. UEFA's third official office will open in Istanbul. We are delighted to host you here on this special occasion. That this gathering coincides with the 105th anniversary of the opening of Grand National Assembly of Türkiye -a symbol of our national sovereignty- and with April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day, the only holiday in the world dedicated to children, gives this cooperation even greater significance and value. On this occasion, I respectfully commemorate our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms who made this country our eternal homeland, our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this land, our veterans who showed the utmost selflessness, and all those who contributed to the founding of our Republic with gratitude and reverence."

"Istanbul -the cradle of ancient civilizations- will now become one of football's major administrative centres"

Praising Istanbul, which will host the new office of UEFA, TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu continued: "Istanbul, which connects Asia and Europe and holds strategic and commercial importance due to its unique location, will now assume a new and highly significant mission. UEFA's third official office, after Brussels and London, will begin operating in Istanbul as of tomorrow. This major step is a result of long-standing progress in Turkish sports. As the historical and cultural heart of ancient civilizations and former capital of three great empires, Istanbul will now also become one of football's major administrative centers. This is the outcome of meticulous working process. Throughout this process, our greatest support has been our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has always stood by sports and athletes with passion. Thanks to his encouragement and support, Türkiye has gained world-class modern stadiums and a strong infrastructure capable of hosting international events at every level. The opening of UEFA's official office in Istanbul is not only significant for our country, but also presents an important opportunity for UEFA to engage more efficiently with regional countries. With this collaboration, Istanbul will become a major hub for the development and organization of football."

"May this meaningful day be auspicious for Turkish football, UEFA, and all stakeholders"

Expressing gratitude to those who made this historic initiative possible, TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu concluded: "I once again extend my heartfelt thanks to our President for his contributions and support on our journey to this point. We are also grateful to our Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, who has always stood by us and kept his door open to us. I welcome my dear friend Mr. Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA -one of the key figures behind the realization of the idea to open this office- and thank him on behalf of my country. I hope this meaningful day will be auspicious for Turkish football, UEFA, and all stakeholders. I greet you all with love and respect."

UEFA President Čeferin: "Whenever I come here, I always feel at home"

Speaking after TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "Mr. İbrahim, distinguished ladies and gentlemen -about three weeks ago I delivered a lengthy address at UEFA Congress, and many friends who were there are here again today. I'm sure they don't wish to listen to me at length once more, so I'll keep it brief.- I'm delighted to be in Türkiye, delighted to be in Istanbul. Visiting this city is always a wonderful experience for me. With all its history -and, as far as I know, being the only major city in the world that spans two continents- Istanbul is a city of great importance, and whenever I come here I always feel at home."

"I believe EURO 2032 will be a highly successful event"

Drawing attention to the success of football events hosted in our country, UEFA President Čeferin continued: "In recent years, Turkish Football Federation and Turkish state have been very successful in staging football tournaments, notably 2023 UEFA Champions League Final. Looking ahead, Türkiye will host 2026 UEFA Europa League Final and 2027 UEFA Conference League Final. I know the country is also a strong candidate for many other tournaments. We have worked with Turkish Football Federation and decided to open our office here in Istanbul. Likewise, 2032 European Championship will be organised jointly by Italy and Türkiye; I believe it will be a highly successful event."

"I thank TFF for being part of the UEFA family"

Expressing his eagerness for EURO 2032, UEFA President Čeferin concluded: "Finally, I want to once again thank Turkish Football Federation, and especially my friend Mr. İbrahim. I thank them for being part of the UEFA family and for the excellent cooperation we enjoy here -but above all I thank him for being a good friend, because everything begins and ends with friendship.- I'm already looking forward to European Championship -even though by then I'll be that much older, my excitement remains.- We'll see whether the final will be played in Italy or Türkiye. Long live football, long live Turkish football. I wish you all a good evening and thank you very much."

UEFA's Istanbul office opens tomorrow

From tomorrow onward, UEFA Istanbul Office will be operational. Hosted by TFF's historic Levent Mansion premises, Istanbul will become UEFA's third external hub after London and Brussels. Bridging continents and cultures, the city thus strengthens its place among world football's leading centres.

President Erdoğan to grace the opening ceremony

The opening ceremony, scheduled for 12.00 pm tomorrow, will be honoured by the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA Executive Committee Members and presidents and representatives of UEFA member associations will also attend.

Istanbul -city of finals- has already crowned four UEFA champions

To date, Istanbul has successfully hosted 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, 2009 UEFA Cup Final, 2019 UEFA Super Cup Final and 2023 Champions League Final. Two more major UEFA finals are on the horizon: the city will stage 2026 UEFA Europa League Final, while 2027 UEFA Conference League Final will be held either in Istanbul or -depending on stadium construction- in Ankara. The new office will also play an active role in preparations for 2032 European Championship (EURO 2032), which Türkiye will co-host with Italy.