My Internship at Galatasaray – ‘’Welcome to the Hell’’
I don’t really believe in luck. It’s always been my motto to work harder.
Everybody entering the football industry would love to experience working at their favorite football club. In order to be provided with such an opportunity, you need a fantastic academic education and advisors who will shed some light on career perspectives and support you at all times. That’s exactly what happened to me.
Currently, I am doing an internship within the Marketing & Sponsorship department at Galatasaray S.K. Before I share more about my experiences, I would like to start by thanking the people who made this internship possible.
I would like to express my gratitude to The FBA Family, Kristian and Marcin, who took care of me from beginning to end throughout this process, and then to Doruk Tüfekçi, Marketing Manager at the club, who was also my direct supervisor.
Galatasaray, as most people interested in football know, is the biggest club in Turkey and has arguably the most passionate supporters in the world.
Throughout my internship at Galatasaray I have been given a lot of responsibility and freedom while also being asked to create value. During this time I was helping the communications team working on women’s football and also supporting sponsors’ campaigns. This sometimes required design skills, and at other times more intellectual skills. Additionally, I was involved in the new website coordination and PR work that I am currently working on.
The club’s office, based at the Galatasaray stadium, has a wonderful view and I love spending my time there every day. I come early every morning and have my morning coffee while looking at the stadium. You don’t really need any other motivation.
That being said, the people you work with are extremely important in such a team. Inside, my teammates are all valuable people and have given me significant support in making this internship go well. They are extremely knowledgeable and positive people who share their experiences and are willing to teach. It would not be wrong to say that there is a family atmosphere, and I send my love to them from here. Erdal Barkay, Kağan Karagülle, Turgay Canpolat and Duygu Gençal, glad to have you. Wherever I continue my career, I have made wonderful friendships and experiences.
Apart from this, of course, since Galatasaray is a family, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of managers from different departments who shared their experience and advice during one-on-one meetings. As in any industry, networking is a crucial element.
One of the biggest examples of this is my professor at The FBA, “Işıtan Gün”, who also serves on the Galatasaray board of directors. A great character and an incredible role model for upcoming football businesss professionals.
As a result, it has been a splendid experience for me to be a part of The FBA.
I got an excellent education, internship at Galatasaray and was put into the position where I have access to vital networking opportunities.
In my next article, I will write about my first official full-time job in the industry. Who knows! Maybe we will work together in the future.
Do not hesitate to contact me with all your questions and concerns.
Best regards,
Emre Aydın
Emre is a Candidate The FBA’s Professional Master in Football Business 8th Edition. He can be contacted via LinkedIn.
