Besiktas

[Black Eagle]

I want to give you some information about Vodafone Arena. The location of the stadium is one of the most valuable locations in Istanbul (the value of the land is expected to be around 1 billion dollars). Bisiktas is not the owner of the stadium but rented it from the state for 50 years (by the way this is the case also for Galatarasay and Fenerbahce stadiums). The club struggled 10 years for getting permissions from the authorities for renewing the old stadium. The state authorities hesitated to give permission. They, instead, proposed to construct a new stadium for Besiktas with 75 thousand capacity in another location in the city, in return for the existing location. Bisiktas declined this proposal. Finally our president got all the permission 3 years ago and Besiktas with its own financial sources constructed a new stadium in the place of old Inonu stadium. The capacity is 43.000. Due to limitations and regulations, it was not possible to construct a stadium with higher capacity.

Sorry I wanted to post some pictures but failed to do so.

Is it this?
This is the old Inonu stadium:

When I went to Constantinople back in June 2013, I still saw the old Inönü. Its location is fabulous, btw.

I wasn't able to visit Galatasaray's or Fener's stadiums, though.

Galatasaray's old stadium was located in a very valuable destination in Istanbul but they admitted to leave the old location in return for a new stadium constructed by the state in a relatively remote and isolated location. They are now not very happy for this decision. Fenerbahce's stadium is on the asian part of the city. The location of Vodafone Arena is priceless. Fenerbahce and Galatasaray used their lobbies to prevent Besiktas to construct the new stadium in the existing location. Their lobbies led to some delays but finally our president constructed the new stadium. All boxes in the stadium sold for three years. The most expensive boxes are 1 million dollars annually.

[Black Eagle]

This a pic of the stadium I took at the time:



This is the nearby Dolmabahçe's Mosque or Sultana Valide Bezmi Alem's Mosque (1853-55):



The famous Gezi Park demonstrations were going on during that time. I remember visiting the park in Taksim with a friend of mine just a few hours before the police cleaned it up.





I was also able to witness some rioting near Galata's bridge in the evening. Then the police charged with tear gas and we had to run. Fun times.

Carsi, the famous Besiktas ultras, was the leading group in the Gezi Paki protests against Erdogan. Thus, the Erdogan governments hate Carsi.   

[KamikazeSLB]

How do you and Turkish people, in general, view Portuguese football and the big 3(Benfica, Porto and Sporting)?

I wish I could ask something specific about Besiktas, but I don't know much about Turkish football.

I've been to Constantinople once. Amazing city.

I did buy a Beşiktaş scarf at the Inönü store since my hostel was nearby (in Kabataş).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iLRMhoyk7U

O meu irmão esteve na Turquia em 2008 e gostou imenso. Gostou sobretudo da parta asiática de Istanbul.

We have great respect for Portuguese football. Turkish fans admire the scouting systems of Benfica, Sporting and Porto. If you read forums of big three teams (Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray), you will come across following sentence: "We have to be like Benfica and Porto."

Portuguese trick is buy cheap young south-american players and sell them to great european teams.

This is what Benfica and Porto did for several years (only this way can we have great players like Di Maria, David Luiz, Enzo Perez, Nico Gaitán, etc... just as Porto had James Rodriguez, Falcao, etc), but in the coming years Benfica will start betting on home-grown players (CFC - Benfica's football academy). Our team is already the youngest in Champions League.

Rui Vitória is the ideal coach to make grow up young players. He had done a good job with the youth at Vitória de Guimarães, such as now. Is also very impressive how, despite many injuries, he always builds a competitive team.

+

David Luiz: we bought him for (about) 4M€ and sell him for 25M€ + Matic (would later also yield 25M€) to Chelsea

Angél Di Maria: we bought him for (about) 6M€ and sell him for 25M€ + 11M€ to Real Madrid

The problem is when Besiktas and other Turkish teams want a young talent from Lantin American teams, they always ask for big amounts. In addition to this, unfortunately Turkish fans are fond of big names who are at the end of their careers like Van Persie, Drogba, Sneijder, Mario Gomez, Quaresma, Simao etc. 

However, Besiktas now follows a new path. We don't spend much for old players, but want to explore young talents.  Four years ago Besiktas almost went bankrupt. No one wanted to be the president of the club because of the financial hardship the club was in. Our current president bravely took up the job and in four years he built Vodafone Arena and also the team won the league title last year. Besiktas earned 40 million euros from selling some players, which is a record amount  a Turkish club earned from selling players. Now, Besiktas is the most admired club among the Turkish fans. Our president clearly follows the paths of Porto and Benfica.  Transferring Aboubakar and Talisca is also part of this plan.

In my humble opinion your president does well. Is the only way to compete against clubs of europe's richest countries.

[Black Eagle]

Best 10 goals Besiktas scored last season. Of course it reflects the taste of the video-maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXx03hVA4NA

[Rei]

I hope you beat Fener. I have a turkish friend and he supports Galatasaray, he is a very passionate supporter and he told me that he prefers Besiktas to win this weekend.

[Black Eagle]

I hope you beat Fener. I have a turkish friend and he supports Galatasaray, he is a very passionate supporter and he told me that he prefers Besiktas to win this weekend.

Thank you my friend. Last 45 minutes to the match. I will now watch the first half of the el classico than watch the big game against Fenerbahce. The leader of the league, Basaksehir lost 2 points today. Galatasaray fans actually now want a draw.

By the way don't get sad for Benfica's loss yesterday. In the long league competition such accidents always happen. Benfica is the best team in the league. I wish luck you luck against Napoli. I hope Besiktas and Benfica will together qualify. 

[Cloughie]

0-0

It's good for Gala.

[Covenant]

How a Besiktas fan prefer Barcelona vs Real Madrid instead Fenerbahçe vs Besiktas? This is shocking for me.

[Black Eagle]

How a Besiktas fan prefer Barcelona vs Real Madrid instead Fenerbahçe vs Besiktas? This is shocking for me.

Of course o preferred Besiktas'a game. But el classico started earlier. I watched el classico until Besiktas' match started. I am a big fan of Besiktas. I cannot sleep the day before Besiktas' matches 😂

[Black Eagle]

0-0

It's good for Gala.

Yes they are very happy but they have a weak team this year. Besides Bruma and Goal keeper Muslera, galatasaray's players are not good.

[GTtdi_SLB]

turkish Benfica is Gala.

[GTtdi_SLB]

Best 10 goals Besiktas scored last season. Of course it reflects the taste of the video-maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXx03hVA4NA

Never misses. The goal to SLB, in offside position.

[GTtdi_SLB]

[Black Eagle]

Best 10 goals Besiktas scored last season. Of course it reflects the taste of the video-maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXx03hVA4NA

Never misses. The goal to SLB, in offside position.

Do you mean Tosun's goal? Yes it was offside.

[Black Eagle]

Have you been to Istanbul recently?