Beşiktaş J.K. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Beşiktaş

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
Home colours Away colours 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)

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)

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)

Former Turkish player Feyyaz Uçar was the top scorer in the 1989–90 season with 28 goals.

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)

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

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:

Current Team Players

Here are the players currently on the Beşiktaş football team:

No. Position Player 2 DF Jonas Svensson 3 DF Gabriel Paulista 4 DF Onur Bulut 5 DF Tayyip Talha Sanuç 6 MF Al-Musrati 7 FW Milot Rashica 8 MF Salih Uçan 9 FW Semih Kılıçsoy 14 DF Felix Uduokhai (on loan from Augsburg) 15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 17 FW Ciro Immobile 18 MF João Mário (on loan from Benfica) 19 FW Yakup Arda Kılıç 20 MF Necip Uysal (captain) 22 MF Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov 23 MF Ernest Muçi

No. Position Player 26 DF Arthur Masuaku 27 FW Rafa Silva 30 GK Ersin Destanoğlu (3rd captain) 34 GK Mert Günok (vice-captain) 44 DF Fahri Ay 53 DF Emirhan Topçu 71 MF Jean Onana 73 MF Cher Ndour (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain) 77 FW Can Keleş 79 DF Emrecan Terzi 83 MF Gedson Fernandes 91 FW Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu 93 DF Arda Özüarap 94 GK Göktuğ Baytekin 96 GK Emir Yaşar

Notable Players and Coaches

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.

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

Players Who Played Only for Beşiktaş

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		Hüsnü Savman	294	42
1930–1950		Şeref Görkey	N/A	320
1931–1948		Hakkı Yeten	439	382
1932–1947		Mehmet Ali Tanman	354	0
1938-1948		Sabri Gençsoy	137	61
1943–1955		Faruk Sağnak	273	25
1946–1954		Süleyman Seba	N/A	44
1955–1971		Ahmet Özacar	313	100
1962–1975		Sanlı Sarıalioğlu	314	65
1977–1984		Süleyman Oktay	117	5
1980–1996		Rıza Çalımbay	494	41
2009–		Necip Uysal	461	6
2017–		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		(1) Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı
1908–11		(2) Şükrü Paşa
1911–18		(3) Fuat Paşa
1918–23		(4) Fuat Balkan
1923–24		(5) Salih Bey
1924–26		(6) Ahmet Fetgeri Aşeni
1926–28		Fuat Balkan
1928–30		Ahmet Fetgeri Aşeni
1930–32		(7) Emin Şükrü Kunt
1932–35		(8) A. Ziya Karamürsel
1935–38		Fuat Balkan
1938–39		A. Ziya Karamürsel
1939–41		(9) Yusuf Ziya Erdem
1941–42		A. Ziya Karamürsel
1942–50		(10) A. Ziya Kozanoğlu
1950		(11) Ekrem Amaç
1950–52		(12) Salih Keçeci
1952–55		A. Ziya Kozanoğlu
1955–56		(13) Tahir Söğütlü
1956–57		(14) Danyal Akbel
1957		(15) Ferhat Nasır
1957–58		(16) Nuri Togay
1958		(17) Enver Kaya
1958–60		Nuri Togay
1960–63		(18) Hakkı Yeten
1963–64		(19) Selahattin Akel
1964–66		Hakkı Yeten
1966–67		(20) Hasan Salman
1967–68		Hakkı Yeten
1968–69		(21) Talat Asal
1969–70		(22) Rüştü Erkuş
1970		Nuri Togay
1970–71		(23) Agasi Şen
1971–72		(24) Himmet Ünlü
1972–73		(25) Şekip Okçuoğlu
1973–77		(26) Mehmet Üstünkaya
1977–79		(27) Gazi Akınal
1979		(28) Hüseyin Cevahir
1979–80		Gazi Akınal
1980–81		(29) Rıza Kumruoğlu
1981–84		Mehmet Üstünkaya
1984–00		(30) Süleyman Seba
2000–04		(31) Serdar Bilgili
2004–12		(32) Yıldırım Demirören
2012–19		(33) Fikret Orman
2019–23		(34) Ahmet Nur Çebi
2023–		(35) Hasan Arat

Sponsorships

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:

Affiliated Clubs

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

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

Images for kids

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  Necmi Mutlu was the longest-serving goalkeeper for Beşiktaş.

See also

In Spanish: Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü para niños