Fenerbahçe claimed their 18th title, but the season was marred by the 2011 Turkish football match-fixing scandal which involved 17 Süper Lig teams[6] and dozens of people, including club bosses and Turkish internationals.
[7] Ankaraspor, Denizlispor and Diyarbakırspor were relegated at the end of the 2009–10 season after finishing in the bottom three places of the standings; Ankaraspor were automatically relegated by the Turkish Football Federation because of the election of Ahmet Gökçek, who was already a member of the board of Ankaraspor, as chairman of Ankaragücü.
The relegated teams were replaced by 2009–10 TFF First League champions Karabükspor, runners-up Bucaspor and promotion play-off winners Konyaspor.
Karabükspor returned to the Süper Lig after an 11-year absence, while Bucaspor will make its debut in the Süper Lig after two successive promotions, becoming İzmir's first representation in the top-flight in seven years.
Konyaspor made their immediate return to the Süper Lig after being relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season.