Demirören added to the race for TFF hot seat

ISTANBUL

Yıldırım Demirören will run as a candidate for the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) hot seat in next week’s elections, as the Beşiktaş chairman announced his candidacy on a busy deadline day yesterday. AA photo

After a board meeting the Beşiktaş boss announced his candidacy for the chair, which was left vacant after Mehmet Ali Aydınlar’s resignation earlier this month. 

Demirören will not be running alone since former State Minister Kürşat Tüzmen and former TFF Vice Chairman Ata Aksu also added themselves in the candidates list. 

The convention that will decide on the new TFF chief will convene in Ankara on Feb. 27. Three names – İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, Zafer Mutlu Mermer and Erdal Alkış – have already announced their candidacies.

Despite the crowded candidates’ list, Demirören looks as the frontrunner as the clubs united behind him over the weekend after UEFA Vice President Şenes Erzik, their initial probable candidate, announced he would not run for the post. 

Following the announcement, a total of 11 Spor Toto Super League clubs, including Beşiktaş, declared they would support Demirören in the TFF elections. Gaziantepspor, Mersin İdman Yurdu, Eskişehirspor, Ankaragücü, Gençlerbirliği, Kayserispor, Kardemir Karabükspor, Samsunspor, Orduspor and Istanbul BB also announced their support on their websites while Bursaspor became the only team that openly said it would not support Demirören in the election.