Reumannplatz in Vienna-Favoriten has recently made negative headlines several times. On Sunday evening, there was a lively but peaceful celebration there, as a “Krone” reader reporter describes. Hundreds of Austro-Turks took over the square to cheer on the Galatasaray Istanbul football club, which was crowned Turkish champions for the 24th time.
It was only in the last round of the Süper Lig that defending champion Galatasaray was able to secure first place. They won 3-1 at Konyaspor and thus maintained their three-point lead over city rivals Fenerbahçe. The second-placed team beat relegated Istanbulspor 6-0, but could only have pushed Galatasaray off the top if the record champions had lost at the end of the season.After the league ended, there was no stopping the Vienna district of Favoriten, hundreds of Austro-Turks stormed Reumannplatz. There was wild celebration, dancing and chanting. A gigantic banner of the traditional Istanbul club was unfurled and dominated the square.Warnings about “irrelevant” flags and speeches”The mood was very peaceful,” described a reader reporter from the “Krone”. Most fans had followed the rules. Warnings had been issued beforehand “so that no irrelevant flags or speeches were held.” There was only one Fenerbahçe fan who wanted to cause trouble. “But he was stopped before there were any problems,” said the reader reporter. “It’s always been like that”Muhammed Yüksek, SPÖ district councilor in Favoriten and himself an ardent Galatasaray fan, was at Reumannplatz and celebrated. Even if Fenerbahçe had won, there would have been celebrations at Reumannplatz. “It’s always been like that, even in my youth,” he wrote on X.Police showed their presenceNumerous police officers were on duty, showing their presence at every corner of the square. Because of the bad weather, the celebrating crowd dispersed early – at the same time a thunderstorm was rolling towards Vienna.By 9.30 p.m. the exuberant celebrations were already over, as Yüksek wrote alongside a photo of the once again deserted square.
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