Galatasaray 2020/21 Away 'Gedson 83' Kitroom Issued (Medium)

Gedson Fernandes arrived at Galatasaray in February 2021 after struggling for playing time during his loan spell at Tottenham. Still only 22, the Portuguese midfielder wanted regular football, and Fatih Terim brought him to Istanbul for the second half of the season. Gedson chose to wear #83, a number that immediately stood out. After a 2-0 win against Erzurumspor, he explained that it was special to him because he had worn it when he first started his professional career. He went on to make 17 league appearances for Galatasaray, becoming a regular in midfield during their title challenge. 

The 2020/21 Turkish title race ended in one of the closest finishes in the league's history. Galatasaray and Beşiktaş both finished with 84 points, but Beşiktaş won the title thanks to a goal difference of +45 compared with Galatasaray's +44. After that six-month spell, Gedson returned to Benfica before eventually joining Galatasaray's Istanbul rivals Beşiktaş in 2022. That makes this Galatasaray #83 shirt particularly interesting: it comes from his only season at the club, features a number with a personal story behind it, and belongs to a title race decided by the smallest of margins.