Beşiktaş J.K.

Beşiktaş

Full name	Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü[1]
Nickname(s)	Kara Kartallar (Black Eagles)[2][3] Siyah Beyazlılar (Black and Whites)
Short name	BJK
Founded	4 March 1903 (1903-03-04),[4][5][6][7][8] as Beşiktaş Bereket Jimnastik Kulübü[9]
Ground	Vodafone Park Istanbul, Turkey
Ground Capacity	41,903
Chairman	Fikret Orman[10]
Manager	Şenol Güneş
League	Süper Lig
2016–17	Süper Lig, 1st
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (Turkish pronunciation: [beˈʃiktaʃ], English: Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club), known as simply Beşiktaş (pronounced: Beshiktash), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903, and based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul.

The club's football team is one of the most successful teams in Turkey, having never been relegated to a lower division. The club last won the Turkish Süper Lig championship during the 2016–17 season.

The home ground of Beşiktaş is Vodafone Park, a 41,903 all-seater capacity stadium located next to Dolmabahçe Palace.

The club also competes in other branches including basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, boxing, wrestling, chess, bridge, gymnastics, rowing, table tennis, paralympic sports, eSports and beach football.^[11]

History

Active departments of Beşiktaş
Athletics	Basketball (Men's) (Women's)	Boxing
Bridge	Chess	e-Sports
Football (Men's) (Women's)	Gymnastics	Handball (Men's)
Rowing	Table tennis	Volleyball (Men's) (Women's)
Wheelchair Basketball	Wrestling

Bereket Gymnastic Club was founded under special permission on 4 March 1903.^[12] Their sporting activities gained more freedom with the declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy in 1908. After the political events of 31 March 1909, Fuat Balkan and Mazhar Kazancı, who were in Edirne, came to Istanbul with the Movement Army. After the political events settled down, Fuat Balkan, who was a good fencing coach, and Mazhar Kazancı, a good wrestler and weight lifter, found the youths involved in gymnastics in Serencebey and got them to agree to participate in sports together. Refik and Şerafettin Beys, friends of Fuat Bey, were also good fencers. Fuat Balkan made the space under his home in Ihlamur the Club’s headquarters, and the title of Bereket Gymnastics Club was changed to Beşiktaş Ottoman Gymnastics Club. Thus, a stronger sports club, where gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, fencing and athletics were emphasized, was formed. Founding member Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı was elected the first president of the club.

In the meantime, Beşiktaş Ottoman Gymnastics Club became the first registered Turkish sports club on 13 January 1910 with the encouragement of Beyoğlu Governor Muhittin Bey. The interest among the youths of the neighborhood in the sports club grew and the number of members involved in sports suddenly grew to 150. The headquarters of the club was moved from Ihlamur to Building 49 in Akaretler. When this building became too small, Building 84, also in Akaretler, became their headquarters. The yard behind this building was turned into a sports pitch.

Some of the young patriots from the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul formed two football clubs called "Valideçeşme" and "Basiret" under the leadership of Şeref Bey. The Valideçeşme and Basiret football clubs joined under the Beşiktaş Ottoman Gymnastics Club in 1911. In a very short time, football became the foremost branch in the club.

For years, the original colours of Beşiktaş were believed to be Red and White; and then temporarily changed into Black and White as a sign of mourning for the dead in Balkan Wars, which included some players of the club. Although most written sources endorse this claim, a detailed study carried out for Beşiktaş’s 100th anniversary documentary had shown that red was never used in club’s first colors; and Beşiktaş’s colours were always Black and White.^[13]

Initial years of football

With football becoming the main sport of the Ottoman Empire around 1910, Beşiktaş members slowly started to give more attention to football. In August 1911, Ahmed Şerafettin started the football team. Beşiktaş didn't enter the Istanbul Friday and Sunday leagues, and didn't have any championships until 1918, when they won the Istanbul Turkish 1st Sports League. In 1921, that particular league's final season, they won it again. In 1924, Beşiktaş entered the Istanbul Football League along with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and other Istanbul teams. Beşiktaş became the league's first champion in 1924, but was not able to get more success in the league. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were the two dominant teams through the middle of the 1930s.

Beşiktaş won their second Istanbul League championship in 1934, as well as their first Turkish Football Championship in the same year. In 1937, the Turkish National League was formed. In the Istanbul League season prior to the National League's first season, Beşiktaş finished in fourth place, which earned them a berth in the National League. Beşiktaş finished third place in the National league, behind Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. In 1938, Beşiktaş finished in third place in the Istanbul league and second place in the National league, behind Güneş. Beşiktaş won a record five consecutive Istanbul league championships between 1939 and 1943. In the National league, Beşiktaş finished fourth in 1939, fifth in 1940, first in 1941 and third in 1943 (1942 league was not held). The club won the Istanbul league in 1945 and 1946, as well as the National league in 1944 and 1947.

After 1959

In 1959, the Turkish First League was formed, the nation's first professional football league. In the inaugural year, Beşiktaş came in third place, while in 1960 it won the league title. In 1960, the club also participated in the European Cup, becoming the first Turkish team ever to participate in the tournament. In subsequent years, Beşiktaş finished third in both 1961 and 1962, as well as second in 1963, 1964 and 1965. In 1966 and 1967, meanwhile, the club won back-to-back championship titles, and in the latter year, they also won their first Turkish Super Cup. In 1968, Beşiktaş finished in second.

Silent 1970s

After 1967, Beşiktaş's performance declined slightly, finishing in 8th, 12th, 5th, 4th many times, while Trabzonspor, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray continued their success. Beşiktaş only finished in second place once in the decade, in 1975.

1980s Revival

Beşiktaş put an end to their poor performances in 1982 with a surprise Turkish championship, earning another in 1986. They finished the league as runners-up four times in the second half of the decade. Hooliganism was also a major problem that had started in Europe and spread throughout Turkey as well. Beşiktaş fan hooliganism had been a major issue with many fights inside and outside the stadium, although this has become less of an issue in more recent years.

Gordon Milne era: 1987–1993

Beşiktaş had their most successful run in the Süper Lig with three consecutive championships under the management of Gordon Milne in the early 1990s. Three players of the squad – Metin Tekin, Ali Gültiken and Feyyaz Uçar – were notable for significant contributions to the team during this period. These players had been called Metin-Ali-Feyyaz ("MAF") and they formed the front of the team's line-up. The supporters composed various chants for the trio devoted to their delighting style on the pitch, their goals, and above all for their friendship and modesty. The trio is regarded by supporters as the best ever attacking line of the club.

The only three-in-a-row title term in club history occurred in the 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. Most notably, Beşiktaş became the first undefeated champion in Süper Lig history.^[14][15] So far, Beşiktaş is the only team that has achieved these honors.

Under Milne, the team adopted the 4–4–2 system. By playing down the lines, crossing and winning balls in the air, the team scored many goals. On 15 October 1989, Beşiktaş broke the Süper Lig record for the biggest winning margin in a game with a 10–0 victory over Southern Turkey team Adana Demirspor.^[16] This match was designated as one of the 16 biggest matches in club history.^[17]

Legend of the Black Eagles

There is a legend surrounding the nicknaming of the team as "The Black Eagles". Beşiktaş, the title holder of the previous two seasons, started the 1940–41 season with a young and renewed team. As the weeks went by, this team was more and more secure in the leader's seat in the league. With five weeks remaining in the season, the opponent was Süleymaniye. Beşiktaş had started the game in Şeref Stadium on Sunday 19 January 1941, with the following players: Faruk, Yavuz, İbrahim, Rıfat, Halil, Hüseyin, Şakir, Hakkı, Şükrü, Şeref, Eşref. The team went ahead in the first half. Halfway through the second half of the game, Beşiktaş attacked continuously, despite being in front. And then, according to legend, a voice was heard from the stands towards which Beşiktaş was attacking. The voice said, "Come on, Black Eagles! Attack, Black Eagles!" The story goes that the owner of the voice from the stands was a fisherman called Mehmet Galin. Beşiktaş finished the game with a 6–0 win. The Beşiktaş players, who had very successfully defeated their opponents that season, were being described as "Black Eagles", and the football they played was being compared to "Attacking like Black Eagles". The comparison resonated with the team and the fans, and so it was adopted by the Beşiktaş community as their team's nickname.^[18]

Colours and badge

Home colours

1991-92

1997-98

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Away colours

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Third colours

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Stadium

BJK İnönü Stadium was located near the Bosphorus and was very close to Taksim Square. The stadium could be reached easily by many means of public transport (bus, ferry, metro, light-rail, funicular etc.) easily due to its central location.

There were four different parts of the stadium; 1."Kapalı" is where the most hot-blooded fans were during the matches; 2."Yeni Açık" was the larger side, which faced the sea; 3."Eski Açık" was the smaller curve on the seaside, where visiting supporters were typically placed; 4."Numaralı" is where press, VIP and protocol stands could be found.

2013 was the last season of the İnönü Stadium as Beşiktaş's home ground. The club played their 2013-14 and 2014-15 season home games mostly at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium and the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium. The new ground, Vodafone Park, was completed in April 2016. And Beşiktaş hasn't lost any match in this stadium in Süper Lig.

Players

Current squad

As of 12 August 2017^[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Fabricio 2 DF Matej Mitrovic 3 DF Adriano 5 DF Pepe 6 DF Duško Tošić 7 MF Ricardo Quaresma 8 MF Ryan Babel 9 FW Álvaro Negredo 10 MF Oğuzhan Özyakup (third-captain) 11 FW Mustafa Pektemek 12 DF Gary Medel 13 MF Atiba Hutchinson 14 DF Fatih Aksoy 15 MF Orkan Çınar 17 MF Jeremain Lens (on loan from Sunderland)

No. Position Player 18 MF Tolgay Arslan 20 MF Necip Uysal (vice-captain) 22 MF Aras Özbiliz 23 FW Cenk Tosun 29 GK Tolga Zengin (captain) 32 DF Andreas Beck 33 DF Atınç Nukan (on loan from RB Leipzig) 54 GK Hüseyin Yılmaz 55 FW Gökhan Töre 70 MF Sedat Şahintürk 77 DF Gökhan Gönül 88 DF Caner Erkin 94 MF Talisca (on loan from S.L. Benfica) 97 GK Utku Yuvakuran

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player

Technical staff

Position	Name
Manager	Şenol Güneş
Assistant Manager	Şeref Çiçek
Assistant Manager	Mehmet Kulaksızoğlu
First Team Coach	Dolu Arslan
First Team Coach	Eren Şafak
Fitness Coach	Miguel Peiró Montanana
Goalkeeping Coach	Marjan Mrmić
First Team Doctor	Sarper Çetinkaya
First Team Doctor	Murat Çevik (former) Günel Kaybetimer Oglu
Physiotherapist	Zeki Cetin
Physiotherapist	Aşkın Dede
Physiotherapist	Mehmet Alpözgen
Football Interpreter	Halil Yazıcıoğlu
Kit Manager	Ünal Akkoyun
Kit Manager	Süreyya Soner
Chief Scout	Gökhan Keskin

Honours

Domestic

• Süper Lig:
  • Winners (15): 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
• Turkish Cup:
  • Winners (9): 1974–75, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11
• Turkish Super Cup:
  • Winners (8): 1967, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2006

UEFA achievements

• European Cup
  • Quarter-finals (1): 1986–87
• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europe League
  • Quarter-finals (2): 2002–03, 2016–17

Others

• Amatör Futbol Şampiyonası:
  • Winners (2): 1934, 1951
• Milli Küme Şampiyonası: (amateur)
  • Winners (3): 1940–41, 1943–44, 1946–47
• Amatör Futbol Şampiyonası:
  • Winners (2): 1985, 1988
• Chancellor Cup:
  • Winners (6): 1943–44, 1946–47, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1996–97
• TSYD Cup: (shared-record)
  • Winners (12): 1964–65, 1965–66, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1996–97
• Atatürk Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2000
• 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
• Istanbul Futbol Kupası: (shared-record)
  • Winners (2): 1944, 1946
• Istanbul Shield:
  • Winners (1): 1935
• Spor-Toto Cup: (record)
  • Winners (3): 1966, 1969, 1970
• Fleet Cup:
  • Winners (1): 1986

European record

Current ranking

As of 27 May 2017^[20]

Rank	Team	Coefficient
42	PSV Eindhoven	46.212
43	Beşiktaş	45.840
44	Genk	45.480
45	FC Internazionale	44.666

Statistics

As of 21 April 2017^[21]

Competition	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
UEFA Champions League	74	23	17	34	73	118	−45
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	20	4	4	12	21	38	−17
UEFA Europa League	102	46	21	35	159	125	+34
Total	196	73	42	81	253	281	−28

Best campaigns

Season	Achievement	Notes
European Cup / UEFA Champions League
1986–87	Quarter-finals	eliminated by Dynamo Kyiv 0–2 in İzmir, 0–5 in Kiev
European Cup Winners' Cup
1993–94	Last 16	eliminated by Ajax 1–2 in Amsterdam, 0–4 in Istanbul
1994–95	Last 16	eliminated by Auxerre 2–2 in İstanbul, 0–2 in Auxerre
1998–99	Last 16	eliminated by Vålerenga 0–1 in Oslo, 3–3 in Istanbul
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
1996–97	Last 16	eliminated by Valencia 1–3 in Valencia, 2–2 in Istanbul
2002–03	Quarter-finals	eliminated by Lazio 0–1 in Rome, 1–2 in Istanbul
2011–12	Last 16	eliminated by Atlético Madrid 1–3 in Madrid, 0–3 in Istanbul
2014–15	Last 16	eliminated by Club Brugge 1–2 in Bruges, 1–3 in Istanbul
2016–17	Quarter-finals	eliminated by Olympique Lyonnais 1–2 in Lyon, 2–1 in regular time and 6-7 on penalties in Istanbul

Recent seasons

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Europe		Manager
2005–06	SL	3	34	15	9	10	52	39	54	Winners	UC	Group stage	Rıza Çalımbay–Jean Tigana
2006–07	SL	2	34	18	7	9	43	32	61	Winners	UC	Group stage	Jean Tigana
2007–08	SL	3	34	23	4	7	58	32	73	Quarter-finals	UCL	Group stage	Ertuğrul Sağlam
2008–09	SL	1	34	21	8	5	60	30	71	Winners	UC	First round	Ertuğrul Sağlam–Mustafa Denizli
2009–10	SL	4	34	18	10	6	47	25	64	Group stage	UCL	Group stage	Mustafa Denizli
2010–11	SL	5	34	15	9	10	53	36	54	Winners	UEL	Round of 32	Bernd Schuster–Tayfur Havutçu
2011–12	SL	4	34+6	15+1	9+2	10+3	50+5	39+9	54+5	Round of 16	UEL	Round of 16	Carlos Carvalhal–Tayfur Havutçu
2012–13	SL	3	34	16	10	8	63	49	58	Round of 16	—		Samet Aybaba
2013–14	SL	3	34	17	11	6	53	33	62	Round of 32	UEL	Play-off	Slaven Bilić
2014–15	SL	3	34	21	6	7	55	32	69	Round of 16	UCL UEL	Play-off Round of 16
2015–16	SL	1	34	25	4	5	75	35	79	Quarter-finals	UEL	Group Stage	Şenol Güneş
2016–17	SL	1	34	23	8	3	73	30	77	Round of 16	UCL UEL	Group Stage Quarter-finals

Last updated: 9 June 2015 (2015-06-09)
Div.=Division; Pos.=Position; Pl=Match played; W=Won; D=Drawn; L=Lost; GS=Goals scored; GA=Goals against; P=Points
SL=Süper Lig; UCL=UEFA Champions League; UCWC=UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; UC=UEFA Cup; UEL=UEFA Europa League; Cup=Turkish Cup
Background colours: Gold=winners; Silver=runners-up; Bronze=third

Presidents

Name[22]	Period[22]
Mehmet Üstünkaya	1981–84
Süleyman Seba	1984–00∞
Serdar Bilgili	2000–04
Yıldırım Demirören	2004–12
Fikret Orman	2012–

Managers

There have been managers from various European countries at the helm of the club. The longest serving manager of Beşiktaş is Şeref Bey, managing the club for 14 years. The most successful manager is Gordon Milne, winning the league three times in a row along with other trophies as well.^[23]

Sponsorship

Years	Shirt sponsor	Kit manufacturer
1988	Toshiba and Sony	Adidas
1988–1998	Beko
1998–2001		Reebok
2001–2004		Puma
2004–2005	Turkcell
2005–2009	Cola Turka	Umbro
2009–2011		Adidas
2011–2014	Toyota
2014–	Vodafone

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beşiktaş JK.

• Official website (in Turkish) (in English)
• Beşiktaş J.K. at UEFA
• Beşiktaş J.K. at TFF
• Beşiktaş: Istanbul's third club but Constantinople's first at thesefootballtimes.co