Galatasaray fans turned the stands at Istanbul’s Rams Park into a platform of solidarity with the Palestinians as their team hosted Germany’s Stuttgart in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. As the players lined up around the center circle before kickoff, a giant banner appeared behind the goal reading in English: “If Jerusalem is not free, the world is captive.”
Fans raised other banners, including one in Turkish that read, “Let humanity unite and let Zionism fall,” and another in English addressed to European public opinion: “Humanity lost its conscience in Gaza.” Turkish sports and news accounts widely circulated images of the scene.

A message at a sensitive time
The banners appeared as Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip continued despite a ceasefire agreement. Several Palestinians, including children and police officers, have been killed in recent days. UEFA regulations prohibit political messages in stadiums, and the governing body has previously opened investigations or imposed fines on clubs over banners and flags supporting Palestine. It is not yet clear whether UEFA will take action over the Istanbul match.
Batrakov’s brace
On the pitch, Galatasaray settled the match early when Russian player Aleksei Batrakov scored twice in the 12th and 15th minutes. His second goal came from a pass by Colombian defender Davinson Sánchez, helping the Turkish champions secure their second consecutive win in the competition and move to six points.
Images: social media