The champion of the 9th Legends Tournament is Antalyaspor.

The ‘9th Legends Tournament’ organized jointly by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and the Federal Republic of Germany Embassy in Ankara brought together legendary football stars from Turkey and Germany. Antalyaspor, who defeated Galatasaray in the final through penalty shootouts, became the champion of the tournament organized to enhance friendship between Turkey and Germany.

The 9th Legends Tournament held in Antalya has concluded. The teams that participated in the tournament, including Antalyaspor, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Schalke 04, FC Adler, Hannover 96, and 1. FC Nürnberg, competed for the championship. The tournament featured exciting matches, and once again, Antalyaspor emerged as the champion, just like last year. The tournament was held in memory of Christoph Daum, who significantly contributed to Turkey-Germany relations and passed away in recent months.

Support for girls from the tournament

In the opening ceremony held the night before the tournament, Osman Sert, Deputy Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, stated, “This year, we will establish a ‘Legends Sports Fund’ to utilize contributions from sponsors and participants for the benefit of girls in need, through the ‘Support for Girls Association’. With this fund, we will carry the transformative power of sports into the lives of our girls and provide them with certain opportunities. We take pride in supporting the strong women of the future.”

Champion decided by penalties

Teams composed of veteran players played in two groups of four, each competing in three matches. The teams that finished in the top 2 of their groups, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, as well as Antalyaspor and Hannover 96, played in the semi-finals. The match between Antalyaspor and Galatasaray, which qualified to play in the final, ended with a score of 0-0, and Antalyaspor won the penalty shootout 3-2 to become the champion of the tournament, continuing their championship streak from last year.

Important football players participated

The tournament, aimed at enhancing friendship between Turkey and Germany, featured many retired and legendary football players. Famous athletes well-known to sports enthusiasts such as Miroslav Stoch, Deniz Barış, İbrahim Üzülmez, Hakan Yakın, Ahmet Dursun, Mert Korkmaz, Erman Kılıç, and many more sweated to achieve victory. Additionally, Yılmaz Vural also participated as a coach in the tournament. After the conclusion of the tournament, an award ceremony was held where representatives from Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and the German Embassy presented awards to the teams. The players of Antalyaspor, the tournament champions, joyfully lifted the championship trophy. The footballers expressed that they are eagerly looking forward to next year’s tournament.