2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence

The 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence was a series of violent incidents in Istanbul, Turkey between fans of English football team Leeds United and Turkish team Galatasaray before the first match of the UEFA Cup semi-final. The violence happened on 5 April 2000 between fans of the two clubs where two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England.

Leeds qualified for the UEFA Cup through finishing fourth in the 1998–99 Premier League. They reached the semi-final after defeating Partizan, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Roma and Slavia Prague. Galatasaray qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing third in the group stage in the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. They entered the third round defeating Bologna, Borussia Dortmund and Mallorca en route to the semi-final. Galatasaray had a reputation of a creating a hostile atmosphere surrounding their home matches and Leeds travelled there aiming to reach the UEFA Cup Final in order to win in their last chance of silverware of their season.

The violence occurred at 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans the day before their UEFA Cup semi-final first leg at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul on 6 April 2000.

Turkish accounts of the events stated that Leeds fans had been taunting people from local bars, which led to the Turkish police being called in to stop fights from breaking out. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a nearby telephone box to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. Several Galatasaray fans, reportedly members of a gang called "The Night Watchmen", entered the area shortly afterwards, precipitating a fight between the two sets of supporters which led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed to death. Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings.

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