Ali Haydar Şen was born on July 1, 1939 in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in present-day Prizren. Şen, one of the important names of the Turkish businessman and sports community, became one of the unforgettable names in sports history as the 26th president of Fenerbahçe.
Ali Şen, who started his life in Kosovo, immigrated to Türkiye with his family after graduating from high school. Şen, who started a new life in Türkiye, opened a greengrocer's shop in Fatih and worked as a greengrocer for a while. During this period, he crossed paths with Fenerbahçe and was appointed head of the basketball branch of the club. This journey, which started in 1975, continued with his election as Fenerbahçe president in 1981.
Ali Şen, whose private life is also quite interesting, had a love story in Denmark. While he was working as a worker in Denmark, he met and fell in love with Bente, the daughter of a furniture maker living in Copenhagen's Rödovre district. This love was broadcast on Danish television as a documentary called "Unlimited Love" and attracted great attention.
Ali Şen, who is also successful in business life, came to the fore by winning Botaş's natural gas distribution tender with the company he owns. This success revealed his success in business life as well as his sports career.
During his presidency of Fenerbahçe, he achieved important successes in terms of the history of the club. The team he took over in the 1980-81 season had been longing for the championship for a long time. The first season under Ali Şen's presidency was a turning point for Fenerbahçe. Strengthened by ambitious transfers, the team broke a record by winning five trophies in one season.
Fenerbahçe won both the league and the cup in the 1982-83 season, and also won the TSYD Cup, Navy Cup and Çalenç Cup.
During Ali Şen's period, amateur branches also made progress. The basketball team got stronger, the volleyball team rose to the first league, the wrestling team was established and championships came in other branches. In addition, the facility development move started and Fenerbahçe Stadium was put into use again.
During his second presidency, Fenerbahçe went through a difficult period. The club, which could not win consecutive championships, experienced difficult moments during this period. However, under the leadership of Ali Şen, Fenerbahçe always maintained its fighting spirit and received the support of the fans.
