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Beşiktaş
BesiktasJK-Logo.svg
Full name Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü
Nickname(s) Kara Kartallar (lit.Black Eagles)
Siyah Beyazlılar (lit. Black and Whites)
Short name BJK
Founded 3 March 1903; 122 years ago (1903-03-03)
as Bereket Jimnastik Kulübü 1909 as Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü
Stadium Beşiktaş Stadium (currently known as Tüpraş Stadium due to sponsorship reasons)
Ground Capacity 42,590
President Hasan Arat
Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst
League Süper Lig
2021–22 Süper Lig, 6th of 20
Third colours

Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü, also known as BJK, is a famous Turkish sports club. It was started in 1903 in the Beşiktaş area of Istanbul. The club's football team is one of the "Big Three" in Turkey. They are one of the most successful teams and have never been moved down to a lower league. Beşiktaş was the first sports club officially registered in Turkey. They are also one of the few clubs allowed to have the Turkish flag on their team badge.

The football team has won 21 league titles. This includes 16 Turkish Süper Lig titles. Beşiktaş is the only team to win the Süper Lig without losing a single game, which happened in the 1991–92 season. The team last won the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup in the 2020–21 season. Their home stadium is Beşiktaş Stadium, which can hold 42,590 fans. It is located next to Dolmabahçe Palace. Many people think this stadium is one of the best in the world.

Beşiktaş also plays in European competitions regularly. They reached the quarter-finals of the 1986–87 European Cup once. In the 2017–18 Champions League, they had the best performance by a Turkish team in the group stage. They earned 14 points and didn't lose any games. Beşiktaş has also reached the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals two times. This happened in the 2002–03 and 2016–17 seasons.

The club's fan group, Çarşı, is famous around the world. They were chosen as the best fan group by American sports viewers. This was because they made a noise record of 132 decibels in a 2007 match against Liverpool. The group also cares about social and political issues. They are often seen as a working-class group that supports "the people's team." The highest number of fans ever at a Turkish league football game was recorded at a Beşiktaş-Galatasaray derby. There were 76,127 people watching that game.

Beşiktaş is a multi-sport club, meaning they play many different sports. These include women's football, basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, boxing, chess, gymnastics, rowing, table tennis, wrestling, and esports.

The Story of Beşiktaş J.K.

How the Club Started (1902–1911)

MedyaBJK
Members of Beşiktaş JK in 1903

The club was first called Bereket Gymnastics Club. It was founded on March 3, 1903. Sports activities became more open after 1908. After some political events in 1909, two people named Fuat Balkan and Mazhar Kazancı came to Istanbul. Fuat Balkan was a fencing coach, and Mazhar Kazancı was a wrestler. They met young people doing gymnastics in Serencebey and convinced them to train together.

Fuat Balkan used the first floor of his home as the club's main office. This was in the Ihlamur neighborhood of Beşiktaş. The club's name was changed to "Beşiktaş Ottoman Gymnastics Club." It became a bigger club that focused on gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, fencing, and athletics. Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı, one of the founders, became the first president.

On January 13, 1910, Beşiktaş became the first Turkish sports club to be officially registered. More young people in the area became interested, and the number of members quickly grew to 150. The club moved its office to a bigger building in Akaretler, Beşiktaş. The yard behind this building was turned into a sports field.

In 1911, two local football clubs, "Valideçeşme" and "Basiret," joined Beşiktaş. This was led by Şeref Bey. For many years, people thought Beşiktaş's original colors were red and white. They believed the colors changed to black and white to remember those who died in the Balkan Wars. However, a study for the club's 100th anniversary showed that red was never used. The club's colors have always been black and white.

Early Football Years (1911–1959)

Besiktas 1923-1924
The team that won the 1923–24 Istanbul Football League championship.

Football became very popular in the Ottoman Empire around 1910. Beşiktaş members started to focus more on football. In August 1911, Ahmed Şerafettin started the football team. When World War I began, many athletes left to fight. This stopped sports activities at the club. After the war, the team faced tough times during the occupation of Istanbul. But Şeref Bey worked hard to help the team recover.

Beşiktaş did not join the Istanbul Friday and Sunday leagues at first. They did not win any championships until 1918, when they won the Istanbul Turkish 1st Sports League. They won it again in 1921. In 1924, Beşiktaş joined the Istanbul Football League with other Istanbul teams like Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. Beşiktaş won the first championship of the 1923–24 season.

Beşiktaş won their second Istanbul League title in the 1933–34 season. They also won their first Turkish Football Championship that same year. They beat Altay 3–1 in the final on October 29, 1934. In 1937, the Turkish National League was created. Beşiktaş won a record five Istanbul League championships in a row between 1939 and 1943. They also won the national league in 1941, 1944, and 1947.

From Milli Lig to Süper Lig (1959–2001)

Feyyaz Uçar (cropped)
Former Turkish player Feyyaz Uçar was the top scorer in the 1989–90 season with 28 goals.
Rıza Çalımbay 20231111 (cropped)
Former Turkish player Rıza Çalımbay played the most games for Beşiktaş with 602 matches.

Professional football started in Turkey in 1952. In 1959, the Millî Lig was formed. This was the country's first professional football league. Beşiktaş won their first title in the 1959–60 season. In 1960, the club also played in the European Cup. They were the first Turkish team to ever play in that tournament. Beşiktaş won back-to-back championships in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, they also won their first Turkish Super Cup.

After 1967, Beşiktaş's performance dropped a bit. They finished in lower positions for many years. They only finished second once in the 1970s. After 15 seasons without a league title, Beşiktaş finally won the championship again in the 1981–82 season. They won another title in the 1985–86 season.

The Gordon Milne Era (1987–1993)

Beşiktaş had their most successful period in the Süper Lig under coach Gordon Milne in the early 1990s. They won three championships in a row. Three players were very important during this time: Metin Tekin, Ali Gültiken, and Feyyaz Uçar. They were known as Metin-Ali-Feyyaz ("MAF") and were the team's main attackers. Fans consider them the best attacking line the club ever had. Supporters even made special songs for them because of their exciting play, goals, and friendship.

The club won titles three times in a row in the 1989–90, 1990–91, and 1991–92 seasons. Most notably, Beşiktaş became the first and only team to win the Süper Lig without losing any games. This was a huge achievement! Under Milne, the team played with a 4–4–2 formation. They scored many goals by playing down the sides of the field and winning headers. On October 15, 1989, Beşiktaş set a Süper Lig record. They won a game 10–0 against Adana Demirspor. This was the biggest winning difference ever in the league.

Recent Years (2001–Present)

Lokobjk 5
The team during the 2015–16 season.

The club won the Süper Lig title in 2002–03. This was their 100th year! They won it under Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu. They changed many players that summer, including bringing back former players Sergen Yalçın and Serdar Topraktepe. They won all four Istanbul derby games and only lost one game in the league. Beşiktaş won the title in the second-to-last game against Galatasaray with a last-minute goal by Sergen Yalçın. They also reached the quarter-finals of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup. In the 2008–09 season, Beşiktaş won the league title with coach Mustafa Denizli.

When Şenol Güneş became the head coach in 2015, Beşiktaş won the league two years in a row. This happened in 2015–16 and 2016–17. The next season, they made history. They became the first Turkish club to reach the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League without losing any games.

Beşiktaş won the league again in 2020–21. This was under the management of former player and club legend Sergen Yalçın.

Home Stadiums

Beşiktaş J.K. vs Bursaspor 11 April 2016 (5)
Opened in 2016, Beşiktaş Stadium is the club's home stadium.

When Beşiktaş first started its football team, they played at different fields. From 1924, they began playing their games at Taksim Stadium.

İnönü Stadium was Beşiktaş's home stadium for 66 years, from 1947 to 2013. The first football game there was on November 23, 1947. Beşiktaş played against Swedish team AIK in a friendly game. Beşiktaş played their last game there on May 11, 2013.

Since 2016, Beşiktaş has played their home games at Beşiktaş Stadium. This new stadium was built where İnönü Stadium used to be. The first game at the new stadium was between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor on April 11, 2016. Beşiktaş won the game 3–2.

Club Achievements

Beşiktaş J.K. has won many titles throughout its history. Here are some of their main achievements:

League Titles

  • Süper Lig
    • Winners (16): 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21
  • Turkish National Division
    • Winners (3): 1941, 1944, 1947
  • Turkish Football Championship
    • Winners (2): 1934, 1951
  • Istanbul Football League
    • Winners (13): 1923–24, 1933–34, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1953–54

Cup Titles

  • Turkish Cup
    • Winners (11): 1974–75, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2020–21, 2023–24
  • Turkish Super Cup
    • Winners (10): 1967, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2021, 2024
  • Prime Minister's Cup
    • Winners (6): 1944, 1947, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1997

European Football Record

Beşiktaş has played many games in European competitions. Here's a quick look at their performance:

Competition Pld W D L GS GA
Champions League 27|19|43|89|153
Europa League 54|25|44|197|159
Cup Winners' Cup 4|4|12|21|38
Conference League 7|1|4|21|19
Total 92|49|103|328|369

Current Team Players

Here are the players currently on the Beşiktaş football team:

No. Position Player
2 Norway DF Jonas Svensson
3 Brazil DF Gabriel Paulista
4 Turkey DF Onur Bulut
5 Turkey DF Tayyip Talha Sanuç
6 Libya MF Al-Musrati
7 Kosovo FW Milot Rashica
8 Turkey MF Salih Uçan
9 Turkey FW Semih Kılıçsoy
14 Germany DF Felix Uduokhai (on loan from Augsburg)
15 England MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
17 Italy FW Ciro Immobile
18 Portugal MF João Mário (on loan from Benfica)
19 Turkey FW Yakup Arda Kılıç
20 Turkey MF Necip Uysal (captain)
22 Kazakhstan MF Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov
23 Albania MF Ernest Muçi
No. Position Player
26 Democratic Republic of the Congo DF Arthur Masuaku
27 Portugal FW Rafa Silva
30 Turkey GK Ersin Destanoğlu (3rd captain)
34 Turkey GK Mert Günok (vice-captain)
44 Turkey DF Fahri Ay
53 Turkey DF Emirhan Topçu
71 Cameroon MF Jean Onana
73 Italy MF Cher Ndour (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
77 Austria FW Can Keleş
79 Turkey DF Emrecan Terzi
83 Portugal MF Gedson Fernandes
91 Turkey FW Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu
93 Turkey DF Arda Özüarap
94 Turkey GK Göktuğ Baytekin
96 Turkey GK Emir Yaşar


Notable Players and Coaches

Süleyman Seba statue in Istanbul 20200629
A statue of Süleyman Seba in Istanbul.

Two special people served Beşiktaş as both a player and a president: Hakkı Yeten and Süleyman Seba. They were even given the title "Honorary President" by the club. Hakkı Yeten also coached the team for a while. In 2008, a statue of Süleyman Seba was put up near the club's main office.

Quaresma against Dynamo Kyiv
Ricardo Quaresma played 154 Süper Lig games for Beşiktaş.

Many players spent their entire careers at Beşiktaş. Nine of them played for over 10 years and in more than 100 games. Some players, like Hakkı Yeten, Rıza Çalımbay, and Sergen Yalçın, were both players and coaches for the club. Sergen Yalçın is the only one who won Süper Lig titles as both a player and a coach.

Some Beşiktaş players have also played for their national teams in big international tournaments. For example, Tayfur Havutçu and İlhan Mansız were part of Turkey's team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Turkey reached the semi-finals that year! Mansız scored a "golden goal" in the quarter-final game. Ricardo Quaresma was with Portugal when they won their first European Championship in 2016. Domagoj Vida played for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

Squads of the Century

In 2003, for the club's 100th anniversary, fans voted to choose the "squads of the century." They picked three teams: "golden," "silver," and "bronze."

Beşiktaş J.K. Squads of Century
Team # Golden Team Silver Team Bronze Team
Goalkeeper 1 Turkey Sabri Dino Turkey Necmi Mutlu Turkey Rasim Kara
Right back 2 Turkey Rıza Çalımbay Turkey Recep Çetin Turkey Hristo Kostanda
Centre back 4 Turkey Gökhan Keskin Turkey Vedat Okyar Turkey Eşref Özmenç
Centre back 5 Turkey Ali İhsan Karayiğit Brazil Ronaldo Guiaro Turkey Ulvi Güveneroğlu
Left back 3 Turkey Zekeriya Alp Turkey Vedii Tosuncuk Turkey Ahmet Berman
Right Midfielder 7 Turkey Metin Tekin Turkey Nihat Kahveci Turkey Ahmet Özacar
Midfielder 8 Turkey Hakkı Yeten Turkey Recep Adanır Turkey Mehmet Özdilek
Midfielder 10 Turkey Yusuf Tunaoğlu Turkey Sergen Yalçın Turkey Şeref Görkey
Left Midfielder 6 Turkey Sanlı Sarıalioğlu Turkey Hüseyin Saygun Turkey İbrahim Üzülmez
Forward 9 Turkey Kemal Gülçelik Turkey Ali Gültiken Turkey Güven Önüt
Forward 11 Turkey Şükrü Gülesin Turkey Feyyaz Uçar Nigeria Daniel Amokachi

Players Who Played Only for Beşiktaş

1932 12 24 Vakit Husnu Savman Fikret Arican
Former team captain Hüsnü Savman (left).

Some players spent their entire football careers playing only for Beşiktaş. These are called "one-club men."

Years Nat Name Apps Goals
1927–1944 Turkey Hüsnü Savman 294 42
1930–1950 Turkey Şeref Görkey N/A 320
1931–1948 Turkey Hakkı Yeten 439 382
1932–1947 Turkey Mehmet Ali Tanman 354 0
1938-1948 Turkey Sabri Gençsoy 137 61
1943–1955 Turkey Faruk Sağnak 273 25
1946–1954 Turkey Süleyman Seba N/A 44
1955–1971 Turkey Ahmet Özacar 313 100
1962–1975 Turkey Sanlı Sarıalioğlu 314 65
1977–1984 Turkey Süleyman Oktay 117 5
1980–1996 Turkey Rıza Çalımbay 494 41
2009– Turkey Necip Uysal 461 6
2017– Turkey Ersin Destanoğlu 167 0

Club Presidents

Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı, the first president of Beşiktaş JK.
Former player Hakkı Yeten was also an honorary president.

The club has had many presidents since it was founded. Here are some of them:

Years Nationality Name
1903–08 Ottoman Empire (1) Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı
1908–11 Ottoman Empire (2) Şükrü Paşa
1911–18 Ottoman Empire (3) Fuat Paşa
1918–23 Ottoman Empire (4) Fuat Balkan
1923–24 Turkey (5) Salih Bey
1924–26 Turkey (6) Ahmet Fetgeri Aşeni
1926–28 Turkey Fuat Balkan
1928–30 Turkey Ahmet Fetgeri Aşeni
1930–32 Turkey (7) Emin Şükrü Kunt
1932–35 Turkey (8) A. Ziya Karamürsel
1935–38 Turkey Fuat Balkan
1938–39 Turkey A. Ziya Karamürsel
1939–41 Turkey (9) Yusuf Ziya Erdem
1941–42 Turkey A. Ziya Karamürsel
1942–50 Turkey (10) A. Ziya Kozanoğlu
1950 Turkey (11) Ekrem Amaç
1950–52 Turkey (12) Salih Keçeci
1952–55 Turkey A. Ziya Kozanoğlu
1955–56 Turkey (13) Tahir Söğütlü
1956–57 Turkey (14) Danyal Akbel
1957 Turkey (15) Ferhat Nasır
1957–58 Turkey (16) Nuri Togay
1958 Turkey (17) Enver Kaya
1958–60 Turkey Nuri Togay
1960–63 Turkey (18) Hakkı Yeten
1963–64 Turkey (19) Selahattin Akel
1964–66 Turkey Hakkı Yeten
1966–67 Turkey (20) Hasan Salman
1967–68 Turkey Hakkı Yeten
1968–69 Turkey (21) Talat Asal
1969–70 Turkey (22) Rüştü Erkuş
1970 Turkey Nuri Togay
1970–71 Turkey (23) Agasi Şen
1971–72 Turkey (24) Himmet Ünlü
1972–73 Turkey (25) Şekip Okçuoğlu
1973–77 Turkey (26) Mehmet Üstünkaya
1977–79 Turkey (27) Gazi Akınal
1979 Turkey (28) Hüseyin Cevahir
1979–80 Turkey Gazi Akınal
1980–81 Turkey (29) Rıza Kumruoğlu
1981–84 Turkey Mehmet Üstünkaya
1984–00 Turkey (30) Süleyman Seba
2000–04 Turkey (31) Serdar Bilgili
2004–12 Turkey (32) Yıldırım Demirören
2012–19 Turkey (33) Fikret Orman
2019–23 Turkey (34) Ahmet Nur Çebi
2023– Turkey (35) Hasan Arat

Sponsorships

2020–21 Beşiktaş J.K. season jerseys (3)
Beşiktaş team jerseys from the 2020–21 season with the main sponsor, Beko.

Football clubs often have sponsors who help fund the team. These sponsors' names usually appear on the team's jerseys. Here are some of the main sponsors Beşiktaş has had over the years:

Beşiktaş J.K. Football Team Sponsors
Season Kit Supplier Shirt Sponsor Sleeve Sponsor Backside Sponsor Shorts Sponsor
1977–78 Pereja
1980–81 KİP
1981–82 Shirt: Umbro, Shorts: Adidas Bako
1982–83 Umbro Anka
1983–84 Doysan, Bağbank
1984–85 Sony
1985–86 Sport
1986–87 Adidas Beslen Makarna
1987–88 Toshiba, Titibank
1988–89 Titibank, Bozkurt Mensucat
1989–90 Demirdöküm, Aygaz Fırın
1990–91 Beko
1991–92
1992–93
1993–94
1994–95
1995–96
1996–97
1997–98
1998–99 Reebok
1999–00
2000–01
2001–02 Puma Avea
2002–03
2003–04 Turkcell
2004–05 Turkcell
2005–06 Umbro Cola Turka Avea
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10 Adidas
2010–11
2011–12 Toyota Ülker
2012–13
2013–14 Kalde Bahçeşehir Koleji
2014–15 Vodafone Kalde Beko
2015–16 Coca-Cola
2016–17
2017–18
2018–19 Bahçeşehir Koleji
2019–20
2019–20 Aksa
2020–21 Beko Güriş Aksa
2021–22 Sompo Japan
2022–23 Rain Aksa Beko Nesine.com
2023–24 Nesine.com, Papara Pasha Group
2024–25 Beko Nesine, Papara Safi Çimento Bahçeşehir University, Pasha Group

Affiliated Clubs

Beşiktaş J.K. also works with other football clubs. Here are some of them:

  • Turkey Adanaspor (since 2015)
  • Kosovo KF 2 Korriku (since 2021)
  • Turkey Kartal Bulvarspor (since 2022)

Images for kids

See also

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