Fenerbahçe host Roma in Champions League opening game

Football Fenerbahçe face Roma at Chobani Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday as the Turkish club return to the UEFA Champions League main stage. Fenerbahçe host Italian side Roma at Chobani Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday, September 10, to begin their 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase campaign.

The first round fixture is scheduled for 13:45 Brasilia time as both clubs start their European season. The match marks Fenerbahçe's return to the main tournament of the Champions League after an 18-year absence.

The Turkish club had suffered nine consecutive eliminations in the qualifying phases of the competition since their last main stage appearance in 2008. Fenerbahçe earned their place in this season's league phase after navigating three qualifying rounds.

The team defeated Polish club Górnik Zabrze and Austrian side Sturm Graz before meeting French team Lyon in the playoff round. The playoff tie against Lyon ended 3-2 on aggregate in favor of the Istanbul team.

Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Turkey, Fenerbahçe won 2-1 in France, with Vedat Muriqi and Archie Brown scoring the goals that secured qualification. Roma form under Gasperini Roma travel to Turkey following an encouraging start to their domestic season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

The Italian side won all three of their opening matches in Serie A, building early momentum ahead of their European schedule. Gasperini's squad has shown strong statistical form across those three domestic victories, scoring ten goals while conceding only two.

Roma, based in the Italian capital, compete in Serie A and play home matches at the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini, who took charge after a successful period managing Atalanta, is known for his fluid attacking tactical system.

Fenerbahçe background and tournament format Fenerbahçe are one of the most successful football clubs in Turkey, based in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Their home ground, Chobani Stadium, hosts European competition fixtures in front of the club's passionate home supporters.

The match is part of the first round of the Champions League league phase, which replaced the traditional four-team group stage. Under the current 36-team format, every club plays eight matches against eight different opponents in a single league table to determine advancement to the knockout rounds.