Article body analysed
By LIAM MORGAN, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Published: 06: 39 AEDT, 6 February 2026 | Updated: 06: 39 AEDT, 6 February 2026 19 View comments Two Fenerbahce fans have caused controversy after appearing to be in blackface when welcoming new signing N'Golo Kante. Thousands of supporters greeted two-time Premier League winner Kante at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport Istanbul this week as he arrived to complete his move to the Turkish side. Among the crowd were two who had painted their faces in black, with one seen with Kante's name written across his forehead. Footage and pictures from the welcome for Kante showed the fans with blackface as one wore a scarf in the yellow and blue colours of Fenerbahce. Doing 'blackface' is considered racist in certain cultures, although some claim it is meant as a gesture of admiration in Turkey. Kante, 34, joined Fenerbahce after leaving Al-Ittihad. The French World Cup winner signed for the Saudi Arabian side in 2023 in a deal worth a reported £21. 6million per year following his exit from Chelsea as a free agent. Two Fenerbahce fans appeared in blackface when welcoming new signing N'Golo Kante Thousands of supporters gathered at an airport in Istanbul after Kante's arrival in the city The former Leicester star's switch to the Turkish club had been thrown into jeopardy earlier this week when Fenerbahce released a statement blaming Al-Ittihad for its collapse. It had been claimed the Saudi side failed to register the proper paperwork for the deal, which included Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri moving in the opposite direction, to go through. But the issues were resolved on Wednesday, with Fenerbahce thanking Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his intervention in a statement announcing the move had been completed. Erdogan reportedly held talks regarding the Kante deal during his state visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Share what you think
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.