Futbol-u Alîye-i Osmânîye: The Sublime Ottoman Football

[Godescalco]

A thread dedicated to all things pertaining to the magical world of Turkish football. I hope that some of our renowned experts in this field, users such as Black Eagle or Benfiquista de 1ª, can give their esteemed contributions.

Let's start with a brief history of the beautiful game in the lands of the Sublime Porte:



Football was introduced to the Ottoman Empire by English men living in the area. The first matches took place in Selânik, now known as Thessaloniki, in 1875. F.C. Smyrna was the first football club established in Turkey. The same men brought football from İzmir to Istanbul in 1895. The first competitive matches between İzmir and Istanbul clubs took place in 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1904. The İzmir team won every match.

Early years (1875–1958)

The first Turkish man to play the sport was a soldier on assignment in İzmir in 1898. The first teams in the Ottoman Empire consisted of Greek, Armenian and English players.

The first club made up of Turkish footballers was Black Stockings, in 1899. Police of the Ottoman Empire invaded the pitch, arresting as many players as they could catch. Cadi Keuy FRC, Moda FC, Elpis, and Imogene FC followed the precedent set by Black Stockings. The first competitive league was created in 1904. Based in Istanbul and titled the "Constantinople Football League", it consisted the four aforementioned clubs (Cadi Keuy FRC, Moda FC, Elpis, and Imogene FC). However, Turkish players were still prohibited to compete. In the following years, clubs such as Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray (Still-active Turkish club with the oldest football team. Despite Beşiktaş was founded in 1903, they started football activities in 1911) were founded with Turkish players. The league was also known as the Sunday League because the matches took place on Sunday.

Two teams from the Ottoman Empire competed in football at the 1906 Intercalated Games: Smyrna and Thessaloniki. Both clubs lost heavily to Denmark and Athens, losing 5-1 and 5-0 respectively. However, Athens withdrew from the second place match, allowing Smyrna to compete against Thessaloniki. Smyrna won 3-0, winning the silver medal. Another league was created in Istanbul in 1912. The league was called The Friday League, and the clubs played their matches on Friday. The league was made up of Darülfünun S.K., İstanbul J.K. (later known as Türk İdman Ocağı, who became Trabzonspor in 1967), Anadolu S.K., Sanayii F.K., Şehremini S.K., and Fenerbahçe S.K. (II). The Sunday League remained the dominant league until the 1915-16 season, when both leagues merged.

Before the introduction of the professional nationwide league (later to be known as the Süper Lig), there were two top-level national championships: the Turkish Football Championship and the National Division. Fenerbahçe dominated Turkish football in those decades, having won three Turkish Championship titles and six National Division titles, both of them records. They were replaced by the Süper Lig in 1959.

[Godescalco]

European Competition Records of the Turkish Clubs:

European Cup / UEFA Champions League

Galatasaray (1988–89 – Semi-finals)
Galatasaray (1962–63 – Quarter-finals)
Galatasaray (1969–70 – Quarter-finals)
Besiktaş (1986–87 – Quarter-finals)
Galatasaray (1993–94 – Quarter-finals)
Galatasaray (2000–01 – Quarter-finals)
Fenerbahçe (2007–08 – Quarter-finals)
Galatasaray (2012-13 – Quarter-finals)

UEFA Cup / Europa League

Galatasaray (1999-00 – Champion)
Fenerbahçe (2012–13 – Semi-finals)
Besiktaş (2002–03 – Quarter-finals)
Besiktaş (2016–17 – Quarter-finals)

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Göztepe A.Ş. (1968–69- Semi-finals)

UEFA Cup Winners Cup

Fenerbahçe (1963–64 – Quarter-finals)
Göztepe A.Ş. (1969–70 – Quarter-finals)
Bursaspor (1974-75 – Quarter-finals)
Galatasaray (1991–92 – Quarter-finals)

UEFA Super Cup

Galatasaray (2000 - Champion)

UEFA Intertoto Cup

Kayserispor (2006 – Joint Winner)
Trabzonspor (2007 – Final)
Sivasspor (2008 – Final)
İstanbulspor (1997 – Semi-finals)
Samsunspor (1998 – Semi-finals)
Trabzonspor (1999 – Semi-finals)
Bursaspor (1995 – Quarter-finals)

Balkans Cup

Fenerbahçe (1966-67 – Champion)
Sarıyerspor (1991-92 – Champion)
Samsunspor (1993-94 – Champion)
Eskişehirspor (1975 – Final)

[Godescalco]

The Turkish football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Turkey. Brought to the country by Englishmen, the sport had first taken root in Istanbul, where the Istanbul Football League was founded and became the first football league in Turkey. After some time, many other regional and local leagues followed in other major cities, such as Ankara (1923), Eskişehir (1920), or İzmir (1923), to name a few.

The first competition to bring forth a national champion was the Turkish Football Championship (Turkish: Türkiye Futbol Şampiyonası), which began in 1924 and continued until 1951. The championship format was based on a knockout competition, contested between the winners of each of the country's top regional leagues. At the end of the 1924 season, Harp Okulu were the first club to be crowned champions after completing their fixtures unbeaten. They are also the only club who have ever changed their name after winning a championship title having been known as Harbiye for the first of their three titles.

Started in 1937, the National Division (Turkish: Millî Küme) was the first national league competition and was held until 1950.

A few years later, in 1959, the professional nationwide league was introduced, currently known as the Süper Lig. The league is contested on a round robin basis and the championship is awarded to the team that is top of the league at the end of the season. The league originally contained 16 teams. Today the Süper Lig is contested by 18 teams; the three lowest-placed teams are relegated to the 1. Lig and replaced by the top three teams in that division. Of the founding teams in the league, only Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, and Galatasaray have not been relegated to date.

Fenerbahçe are the most successful club, having won 28 titles in total so far.

[Godescalco]

Football team of Harbiye in 1924, the first national champions in Turkish football history:



Turkish newspaper Son Posta announcing the Turkish Championship title of Fenerbahçe on 9 September 1935:

[Godescalco]

Muhafızgücü, Turkish champions in 1927, with the championship trophy:



Eskişehir Demirspor, Turkish champions in 1940, with the championship shield:

[Godescalco]

Over the history of the Turkish football championships 14 different clubs have won the title. The most successful club are Fenerbahçe with 28 titles to their credit, most of those coming in Süper Lig competition. They are also the most successful pre-Süper Lig club with 9 titles overall in that era, 6 of them won in the National Division and 3 in the Turkish Football Championship.

All-time performance (1924–)

In the table below all national championship titles since 1924 are included, comprising the Turkish Football Championship and National Division, which are not counted by the Turkish Football Federation.



Performance since 1957

Only five clubs have been champions since the beginning of the Süper Lig in 1959: Galatasaray 20 times, Fenerbahçe 19 times, Beşiktaş 15 times (with an additional two titles counted for star purposes, see note below), Trabzonspor 6 times, and Bursaspor once.



Beşiktaş formally requested that championships won in the 1956–57 and 1957–58 editions of the Turkish Federation Cup be counted as Turkish championship titles to the Turkish Football Federation. The ruling on this matter was announced in a press release on March 25, 2002 which indicated that the championships won by Beşiktaş in the Turkish Federation Cup will be considered as national league championships. Beşiktaş were given permission to represent Turkey in UEFA competitions in the 1956–57 and 1957–58 seasons.

Star rating system

Based on an idea of Umberto Agnelli, the honor of Golden Stars was introduced to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys. Clubs are permitted to place a golden star above their crest for every five national championships won. For the 2017–18 season Galatasaray are permitted four golden stars, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş are permitted three golden stars, and Trabzonspor are permitted one golden star to be placed above their crest on their jerseys.

[Faliro]

The Turkish football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Turkey. Brought to the country by Englishmen, the sport had first taken root in Istanbul, where the Istanbul Football League was founded and became the first football league in Turkey. After some time, many other regional and local leagues followed in other major cities, such as Ankara (1923), Eskişehir (1920), or İzmir (1923), to name a few.

Interestingly - before the 1920s - Izmir (Smyrna) football was dominated by two major historic city clubs. Panionios and Apollon. After the expulsion of the Greeks in the 1920s - the clubs both relocated to Athens. They are still both in the Super League.

Apollon Smyrnis (founded 1891) Full name: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης, Gymnastics Society Apollon of Smyrna:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollon_Smyrni_F.C.



Panionios (founded 1890) Full name: Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης "All-Ionian Gymnastic Club of Smyrna:''

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panionios_F.C.



Interestingly the original emblem of Apollon is the Swastika, but after WW2 - they changed it.

In 2016 - the historic Panionios stadium in Izmir was finally demolished - it had been used by Atlay after the Greeks had left Turkey.



https://www.thenationalherald.com/115680/historic-panionios-stadium-in-izmir-demolished/

[Calcio]

My only contribution to this thread will be the following:

REMOVE KEBAB!

[Faliro]

Istanbul had a similar situation in Ottoman times. The biggest clubs of the city pre war were Énosis Tatávlon and Ermís. The others were  Iraklís (Ηρακλής) from the Tatavla district, Mégas Aléxandros (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) of Galata, and Olympiás (Ολυμπιάς) of Therapia.

Ermis ('Hermes' in English - founded 1875 in Galata) known as 'Pera' had its name Turkified after the population exchanges to "Beyoğlu Spor Kulübü'' in 1923. Here is a picture taken in 1922 when they were still known as Pera:



In 1924, the founders of AEK – a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them former athletes from the Pera Sports Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) – met at the athletic shop "Lux" of Emilios Ionas and Konstantinos Dimopoulos on Veranzerou Street, in the center of Athens, and created AEK. AEK chose the same colours of Pera FC - yellow and black - the colours of the Byzantine Empire.


Those refugees who settled in Thessaloniki instead of Athens in 1922 founded PAOK as a direct descendant of Pera Club (Ermis FC). The notable footballer Christoforos Pantermalis started his career at Pera Club (Hermes) of Istanbul and he also played at PAOK:

[Godescalco]

Speaking of Pera Sports Club, and Greeks in Constantinople, we cannot forget the great Lefter Küçükandonyadis, one of the greatest footballers to play for Fenerbahçe and Turkey.



Lefter started his footballing career in Büyükada (an island in Istanbul) but professionally played first with Taksim SK, a club based in the European part of Istanbul. He transferred to Fenerbahçe in 1947, achieving instant success. He was one of the first Turkish footballers to play abroad, playing during 1951–1953 for ACF Fiorentina in Italy and OGC Nice in France. Returning to Fenerbahçe, he won two Istanbul League titles and later, after the start of the Turkish national league, three Turkish League (1959, 1961 and 1964) titles. In the 1953–1954 season, he was the top scorer in the Turkish league. Overall, he scored a total of 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahçe. After ending his career in Turkey in 1964, he played a single season in Greece with AEK Athens FC. He participated in five games in the 1965 season scoring two goals before an injury in the match against Iraklis forced his retirement.

Küçükandonyadis was capped 46 times for the Turkish national football team, 9 of which as the captain. He also played at the 1954 FIFA World Cup netting in 2 goals, one against West-Germany and the other against South-Korea. He scored 21 goals for the national team and was the top scorer for Turkey until overtaken by Hakan Şükür. He was the first Turkish football player to receive the "Golden Honor medal", from the Turkish Football Federation, for having played for the National Selection in 50 international matches.

Lefter coached Egaleo F.C. in Greece and Supersport United in South Africa. He later returned to Turkey and coached the clubs Samsunspor, Orduspor, Mersin Idmanyurdu and Boluspor.

He was also known as "Ordinaryüs" (professor of professors) in Turkey. His statue was built next to the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium in 2009. He was buried in the Greek Orthodox cemetery on his native island.

[Faliro]

Speaking of Pera Sports Club, and Greeks in Constantinople, we cannot forget the great Lefter Küçükandonyadis, one of the greatest footballers to play for Fenerbahçe and Turkey.



Lefter started his footballing career in Büyükada (an island in Istanbul) but professionally played first with Taksim SK, a club based in the European part of Istanbul. He transferred to Fenerbahçe in 1947, achieving instant success. He was one of the first Turkish footballers to play abroad, playing during 1951–1953 for ACF Fiorentina in Italy and OGC Nice in France. Returning to Fenerbahçe, he won two Istanbul League titles and later, after the start of the Turkish national league, three Turkish League (1959, 1961 and 1964) titles. In the 1953–1954 season, he was the top scorer in the Turkish league. Overall, he scored a total of 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahçe. After ending his career in Turkey in 1964, he played a single season in Greece with AEK Athens FC. He participated in five games in the 1965 season scoring two goals before an injury in the match against Iraklis forced his retirement.

Küçükandonyadis was capped 46 times for the Turkish national football team, 9 of which as the captain. He also played at the 1954 FIFA World Cup netting in 2 goals, one against West-Germany and the other against South-Korea. He scored 21 goals for the national team and was the top scorer for Turkey until overtaken by Hakan Şükür. He was the first Turkish football player to receive the "Golden Honor medal", from the Turkish Football Federation, for having played for the National Selection in 50 international matches.

Lefter coached Egaleo F.C. in Greece and Supersport United in South Africa. He later returned to Turkey and coached the clubs Samsunspor, Orduspor, Mersin Idmanyurdu and Boluspor.

He was also known as "Ordinaryüs" (professor of professors) in Turkey. His statue was built next to the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium in 2009. He was buried in the Greek Orthodox cemetery on his native island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9tSwG64ymA

[Godescalco]

Why Nobody Is Happy With The TFF Verdict For Abandoned Fenerbahçe – Besiktas Derby That Saw Senol Gunes Taken To Hospital

https://turkish-football.com/nobody-happy-tff-verdict-abandoned-fenerbahce-besiktas-derby-saw-senol-gunes-taken-hospital/

[Godescalco]

This Is Why The Turkish Süper Lig Is The Most Exciting Title Race In The World – Besiktas, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray & Basaksehir Locked In Four Horse Race

https://turkish-football.com/this-is-why-the-turkish-super-lig-is-the-most-exciting-title-race-in-the-world-besiktas-fenerbahce-galatasaray-basaksehir-locked-in-four-horse-race/



Bored of your domestic title race? look no further than the Süper Lig if you want to follow a league that still means something.

With just four weeks remaining before we switch our attention to examining the World Cup Odds,  there is still everything to play for in the Turkish championship.

Three points separate leaders Galatasaray from fourth-placed Fenerbahçe with Basaksehir and Besiktas level just a point behind the Lions.

Things could have been so different.

It all started according to plan. Basaksehir crushed Kayserispor 3-1. Even Arda Turan got in on the act scoring his first goal since joining the Istanbul based side on loan from Barcelona.

Basaksehir have the easiest run out of the teams remaining in the title race but the big question is do they have the bottle? they didn't last season. Perhaps Abdullah Avci will be able to get his players to avoid making the same mistake this time around.

Anyway onto Galatasaray. They headed into the Alanyaspor clash having won just one of their last five away games. Two goals inside 20 minutes told the record keepers where to shove their statistics. Then it happened. The Lions managed to concede twice and relied on Sinan Gumus to get them out of jail with a late goal. The Istanbul giants got the victory... just! Are cracks starting to show? we will find out next week against Besiktas.

With Basaksehir and Galatasaray winning Besiktas were under pressure to keep pace. It is so tight at the top now that any slip up could cost the championship. The Black Eagles were coming off the back of an eventful week.

The derby against Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Cup semi-final had to be abandoned after Besiktas manager Senol Gunes suffered a head injury from an object hurled from the stands.

It all kicked off soon after half-time when a dispute broke out between Besiktas substitute goalkeeper Tolga Zengin and several Fenerbahçe fans.

Gunes tried to split it up ended up but ended up being struck on the head by a foreign object from the Fenerbahce stand before collapsing on the floor.

The Besiktas boss was seen holding his head in agony before being escorted down the tunnel.

Gunes required five stitches to be applied in the dressing room before spending the night in hospital.

The manager was welcomed back by Besiktas fans like a triumphant gladiator returning from a battle in the Colosseum. The reigning titleholders got off to a great start when Negredo opened the scoring. Malatyaspor did equalize but Anderson Talisca put his side back ahead with goal number 19 this campaign. Ricardo Quaresma wrapped up all three points with an incredible free-kick effort.

This left Fenerbahçe having to win on Monday which they did with ease, crushing Antalyaspor 4-1.

[Godescalco]

Galatasaray Favorites But Still All To Play For In The Turkish Süper Lig Title Race

https://turkish-football.com/galatasaray-favorites-still-play-turkish-super-lig-title-race/



Galatasaray beat Besiktas 2-0 in the Istanbul derby at the Turk Telekom Arena to remain top of the Super Lig table but there is still everything to play for in the title race.

Despite the victory, just four points separate the top four. Basaksehir are just a single point behind Basaksehir, followed by Fenerbahçe and Besiktas.



Galatasaray fans celebrated in the streets after beating the reigning champions but it is way too early to get carried away.

I'll take a look at the title chances of all four contenders.

Galatasaray

It really is Galatasaray's to lose at this point. The Emperor, as he is known by Lions fans, Fatih Terim, has been here, done that, sent the postcard. The former Turkey national team boss already has six Süper Lig titles under his belt. His team however, are not nearly as experienced.

The Istanbul giants take on Akhisar away, followed by Malatyaspor at home and then a tricky trip to Izmir to face Göztepe.

The problem Galatasaray have is they are not very good on the road. They may be imperious at home but it is a different story away. If the league was determined on away form, the Lions would be 5th. Luckily for them, it is not. Unfortunately for them, they do have two away games. And that is exactly why this title race is not over yet.

I do not see Terim's boys cruising past Akhisar and Göztepe. Both sides will offer stiff opposition. There could be yet another twist.

Basaksehir

Basaksehir have scored seven goals in their last two games putting to bed rumors that they are feeling the pressure. The Istanbul minnows have two home games against Sivasspor and Kasimpasa which they should be able to take care of. The banana skin could be Antalyaspor. The Scorpions will be at home and desperate for points considering they are not safe from relegation just yet.

Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe have won their last five league games scoring 17 goals in the process. The Yellow Canaries also have two home games and one on the road. Bursaspor will be no pushovers on the weekend. Karabukspor are bottom of the table so if Aykut Kocaman cannot get his side to win a lot of questions will be asked. Konyaspor on the final day could throw up a surprise considering the Anatolian Eagles are still involved in a relegation battle.

Besiktas

Besiktas have to hope all three sides drop points – actually Galatasaray would have to drop points twice – if they hope to defend the league title for a third successive season. The Black Eagles take on Kayserispor at home, Osmanlispor away and Sivasspor at home on the final day. All they can do is win their final three games and hope. There will be less pressure on the team as nobody expects them to lift the title anymore but second-place is up for grabs and would bring Champions League football.

[Zimmerman]

One of my all time favourites.