5 clubs with famous football ultras

#2 Galatasaray

Galatasaray fans have a love for flares matched by very few around the world

The Turkish top flight is growing synonymous with football violence. Fans supporting any side from Besiktas to Bursaspor have been known to hurl objects from lighters to stones at match officials and underperforming players in immature protests and at the heart of this concerning dilemma is one of the nation’s most successful clubs – Galatasaray.

Boasting an incredibly passionate following, it is rare to see Galatasaray play a UEFA Champions League game without some controversy; the fans may be fearsome away from home but in Istanbul, the violence reaches its peak. The 5th April 2000 was a dark time for the Turks after two Leeds United's supporters were stabbed to death in the capital by thugs associated with Galatasaray, prior to the meeting of the two sides in the UEFA Cup. Moulding a hostile atmosphere is one thing, but this was just plain murder.

The decibel count typical accelerates on a European night at the Türk Telekom Arena but few occasions fan the flames of passion – quite literally, the supporters seem obsessed with flinging flares onto the pitch – than a Galatasaray-Fenerbahce derby.