İstanbul Başakşehir F.K.

İstanbul Başakşehir
Full nameİstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü
Nickname(s)Boz Baykuşlar (The Grey Owls)
Turuncu Lacivertliler (The Orange-Navy Blues)
Short nameİBFK
Founded15 June 1990 (1990-06-15), as İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü
4 June 2014 (2014-06-04), as İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü
GroundBaşakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium
Capacity17,319
PresidentGöksel Gümüşdağ
Head coachÇağdaş Atan
LeagueSüper Lig
2024–25Süper Lig, 5th of 19
Websiteibfk.com.tr

İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü (Turkish pronunciation: [isˈtanbuɫ baˈʃakʃehiɾ ˈfutboɫ kulyˈby]), commonly referred to as Başakşehir or, due to sponsorship reasons, Rams Başakşehir, is a professional football club based in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul, Turkey. Known for its vibrant orange and navy colors, the club was established in 1990 and competes in the top tier of Turkish football, the Süper Lig.

The team plays its home matches at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, which has been their base since 2014. As one club of six Istanbul-based clubs in the Süper Lig this season, Başakşehir has carved out its identity as a competitive force domestically and on the European stage. The club achieved its first league championship in the 2019–20 season, marking a milestone in its relatively young history.

Başakşehir continues to participate in various domestic and international tournaments, including the Turkish Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, showcasing its ambition to become a consistent contender in Turkish and European football.

Başakşehir is considered to be linked politically to Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

History

Early years

İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü is a relatively new football club compared to many other professional Turkish teams, having been established in 1990. The club’s original name was İSKİ Spor Kulübü, and it was owned by the municipality’s water distribution company. ISKI Spor Kulübü began competing in the Regional Amateur Football League during the 1990–91 season, earning promotion to the TFF Second League. After this promotion, the club’s name was changed to İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor.

The club competed in the TFF Second League until 1996. After a successful campaign in the 2006–07 season, they secured promotion to the Süper Lig. İstanbul BB finished 12th in the 2007–08 season, ensuring their stay in the top division. In the 2009–10 season, the club achieved a 6th-place finish. However, in the 2012–13 season, the team finished 16th and was relegated to the TFF First League. The club made an immediate comeback, finishing the 2013–14 season as champions and earning promotion back to the Süper Lig.

On 4 June 2014, the club was restructured into a joint-stock company with seven shareholders and renamed İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü. Göksel Gümüşdağ was appointed as the founding chairman.[1]

Rise to Prominence

In its debut Süper Lig season as Başakşehir, the team finished 4th, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. In the 2015–16 season qualifiers, the team was eliminated by AZ Alkmaar but secured another 4th-place league finish. During the 2016–17 season, Başakşehir defeated Rijeka in the qualifiers but was eliminated by Shakhtar Donetsk before reaching the group stage.

In just their third season after rebranding, Başakşehir finished as runners-up in the 2016–17 Süper Lig. In the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, they defeated Club Brugge but were knocked out by Sevilla in the play-off round. They subsequently participated in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage, finishing 3rd in Group C. Domestically, Başakşehir finished the 2017–18 season in 3rd place. In the following season, Başakşehir was eliminated by Burnley in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League qualifiers but secured a 2nd-place finish in the 2018–19 Süper Lig.

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Başakşehir adopted the slogan “New Vision, Same Goal.” Although they were eliminated by Olympiacos in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League play-off, they topped Group J in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, competing against Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Wolfsberger AC. They advanced to the Round of 32, defeating Sporting CP but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Copenhagen.

On 19 July 2020, Başakşehir were crowned champions of the Turkish Süper Lig for the first time in the club’s history.[2][3][4] They also became only the sixth club in the competition’s history to win the league title and the fourth club from Istanbul to do so.

On 18 February 2024, it was reported that City Football Group, the ownership group behind Manchester City, reached a partnership agreement with the club in order to improve their football strategy, recruitment, scouting and coaching methodology. This development marked a significant milestone for the club, aligning it with one of the most successful football group structures in the world. The deal is expected to enhance Başakşehir’s international presence and bolster its financial and operational capabilities.[5][6]

Crest and Colors

İstanbul Başakşehir’s crest features a shield with a bold “B” at the center, symbolizing the club’s identity. The backdrop of stars represents ambition and success. The crest includes the club’s name, “İstanbul Başakşehir,” and the year “2014,” marking its rebranding. The official colors, orange and navy blue, symbolize energy, ambition, professionalism, and focus, distinguishing the club in the Süper Lig.[7]

Stadium

Before the name change, İstanbul Başakşehir played their home games at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. However, starting from the 2014–15 season, they began playing at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, which officially opened to the public on 26 July 2014. The stadium has a capacity of 17,800 spectators and serves as the new home of İstanbul Başakşehir in the Süper Lig.

Club identity and supporters

Başakşehir are linked closely to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[8][9][10] Originally founded in the 1990s as İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor by the Istanbul municipality during Erdoğan’s tenure as mayor, the club was rebranded in 2014 as İstanbul Başakşehir FK. The rebranding coincided with the rise of the Başakşehir district, a newly developed area aligned with Erdoğan’s vision for a conservative, pious urban middle class.[8][10] The club’s former president, Göksel Gümüşdağ, is both a member of the AKP and related to Erdoğan by marriage.[8][9][11] Erdoğan personally opened Başakşehir’s new stadium in 2014, where he played in a ceremonial match and had the number 12 retired in his honour. The club has received sponsorship from companies closely linked to the government, such as Medipol, whose founder Fahrettin Koca later served as health minister in Erdoğan’s cabinet.[8]

These connections have led critics to label Başakşehir as a “regime club” or “FC Erdoğan”.[8][12] The club’s rapid rise in Turkish football has been widely perceived as politically driven, supported by state-linked resources and favourable media coverage.[8] This has drawn a sharp contrast with traditional Istanbul clubs like Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahçe, which have larger, historic, and often more oppositional fanbases.[8][9] For some observers, Başakşehir symbolises the AKP’s broader strategy of reshaping Turkish cultural institutions, using football as a platform to promote its political and social ideals.[8]

The supporter group of İstanbul Başakşehir is 1453 Başakşehir.[8] 1453 Başakşehir have been categorised as heavily nationalist and pro-Erdoğan. 1453 Başakşehir made the headlines for the first time with a giant "Commander-in-Chief Erdoğan" banner they opened during a Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge.[10] The previous supporter group, Boz Baykuşlar, which existed before the club’s restructuring, has voluntarily chosen not to be present in the stands of İstanbul Başakşehir anymore.

Honours

Leagues

Cups

Past seasons

Results of League and Cup Competitions by Season

Season League Pos Pld W D L GF GA Pts Turkish Cup
During the 1990–91 season, İstanbul BB competed at the amateur level.
1991–92 2. Lig 9 34 10 13 11 35 37 43
1992–93 2. Lig 1 30 19 8 3 51 20 65
1993–94 1. Lig 6 32 9 12 11 35 37 39 2nd Round
1994–95 1. Lig 9 32 8 10 14 35 46 34 3rd Round
1995–96 2. Lig 3 26 14 8 4 49 22 50
1996–97 2. Lig 1 32 22 8 2 82 27 74 2nd Round
1997–98 1. Lig 3 35 18 8 9 62 45 62 5th Round
1998–99 7 36 16 7 13 65 52 55 4th Round
1999–00 4 32 15 9 8 47 32 54 2nd Round
2000–01 5 37 19 7 11 80 57 64 3rd Round
2001–02 12 38 13 11 14 46 45 50 Last 32
2002–03 14 34 11 7 13 35 48 40 1st Round
2003–04 13 34 10 7 14 42 50 37 2nd Round
2004–05 9 34 12 10 12 34 35 46 1st Round
2005–06 7 34 13 13 8 43 31 52 2nd Round
2006–07 1. Lig 2 34 19 8 7 56 27 65 Group stage
2007–08 Süper Lig 12 34 10 8 16 44 47 38 2nd Round
2008–09 9 34 12 6 16 37 46 42
2009–10 6 34 16 8 10 47 11 56 Quarter-finals
2010–11 12 34 12 6 16 40 45 42 Runners-up
2011–12 6 34 14 8 12 48 49 50 Last 16
2012–13 Süper Lig 16 34 9 9 16 43 50 36 2nd Round
2013–14 1. Lig 1 36 24 6 6 76 38 78 Last 32
From this season onwards, the club is known as İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü
2014–15 Süper Lig 4 34 15 14 5 49 30 59 Last 16
2015–16 34 16 11 7 54 36 59 Quarter-finals
2016–17 2 34 21 10 3 63 28 73 Runners-up
2017–18 3 34 22 6 6 62 34 72 Last 16
2018–19 2 34 19 10 5 49 22 67
2019–20 1 34 20 9 5 65 34 69
2020–21 12 40 12 12 16 43 55 48 Semi-finals
2021–22 4 38 19 8 11 56 36 65 Fourth round
2022–23 5 36 18 8 10 54 37 62 Runners-up
2023–24 4 38 18 7 13 57 43 61 Quarter-finals
2024–25 5 36 16 6 14 60 56 54 Group stage

League affiliation

European record

Competitive record

Accurate as of 12 December 2024
Competition Pld W D L GF GA GD Win%
UEFA Champions League 12 2 2 8 15 28 −13 016.67
UEFA Europa League 25 7 6 12 25 40 −15 028.00
UEFA Conference League 24 14 7 3 50 19 +31 058.33
Total 61 23 15 23 90 87 +3 037.70

Source: UEFA.com
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal Difference.

Results

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2015–16 UEFA Europa League 3QR AZ 1–2 0–2 1–4
2016–17 Rijeka 0–0 2–2 2–2 (a)
PO Shakhtar Donetsk 1–2 0–2 1–4
2017–18 UEFA Champions League 3QR Club Brugge 2–0 3–3 5–3
PO Sevilla 1–2 2–2 3–4
UEFA Europa League Group C Braga 2–1 1–2 3rd
Ludogorets Razgrad 0–0 2–1
1899 Hoffenheim 1–1 1–3
2018–19 UEFA Europa League 3QR Burnley 0–0 0–1 0–1
2019–20 UEFA Champions League Olympiacos 0–1 0–2 0–3
UEFA Europa League Group J Roma 0–3 0–4 1st
Borussia Mönchengladbach 1–1 2–1
Wolfsberger AC 1–0 3–0
R32 Sporting CP 4–1 (a.e.t.) 1–3 5–4
R16 Copenhagen 1–0 0–3 1–3
2020–21 UEFA Champions League Group H Paris Saint-Germain 0–2 1–5 4th
RB Leipzig 3–4 0–2
Manchester United 2–1 1–4
2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League 2QR Maccabi Netanya 1–1 1–0 2–1
3QR Breiðablik 3–0 3–1 6–1
PO Antwerp 1–1 3–1 4–2
Group A Fiorentina 3–0 1–2 1st
Heart of Midlothian 3–1 4–0
RFS 3–0 0–0
R16 Gent 1–4 1–1 2–5
2024–25 UEFA Europa Conference League 2QR La Fiorita 6–1 4–0 10–1
3QR Iberia 1999 2–0 1–0 3–0
PO St Patrick's Athletic 2–0 0–0 2–0
League Phase Rapid Wien 1–2 26th
Celje 1–5
Copenhagen 2–2
Petrocub Hîncești 1–1
1. FC Heidenheim 3–1
Cercle Brugge 1–1
2025–26 UEFA Conference League 2QR Cherno More

UEFA Club Coefficient Ranking

As of 8 November 2024[13]
UEFA Club Coefficient Ranking History
Season Rank Points Ref.
2016 194 7.920 [14]
2017 158 10.340 [15]
2018 140 8.500 [16]
2019 118 10.500 [17]
2020 71 21.500 [18]
2021 60 26.500 [19]
2022 63 25.000 [20]
2023 56 31.000 [21]
2024 62 29.000 [22]

Players

Current squad

As of 11 July 2025[23]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  TUR Volkan Babacan
2 MF  TUR Berat Özdemir
3 DF  GHA Jerome Opoku
4 MF  TUR Onur Ergün
5 DF  BRA Léo Duarte
8 MF  CMR Olivier Kemen
13 MF  POR Miguel Crespo
15 DF  TUR Hamza Güreler
16 GK  TUR Muhammed Şengezer
17 MF  TUR Ömer Faruk Beyaz
20 MF  TUR Umut Güneş
21 DF  CIV Christopher Opéri
22 FW  POR Matchoi Djaló
23 MF  TUR Deniz Türüç
26 MF  TUR Yusuf Sarı
27 DF  SEN Ousseynou Ba
35 DF  TUR Halit Emre Acun
36 DF  IRL Festy Ebosele
42 DF  TUR Ömer Ali Şahiner
77 FW  CRO Ivan Brnić
78 GK  TUR Yusuf Yılmaz
No. Pos. Nation Player
80 MF  CIV Abdoulaye Yoro
98 GK  TUR Deniz Dilmen
DF  TUR Onur Bulut
MF  TUR Berkay Özcan
FW  CPV Nuno da Costa
FW  TUR Muhammet Arslantaş
DF  TUR Cemali Sertel
MF  TUR Eray Sürül
DF  TUR Emre Kaplan
FW  TUR Efecan Barlık
MF  TUR Emre Karaal
DF  TUR Ayberk Kaygısız
FW  TUR Efe Arda Koyuncu
DF  CGO Francis Nzaba
DF  TUR Eren Karaağaç
DF  TUR Yağız Dilek
MF  TUR Berkay Aslan
MF  TUR Berkay Aydoğmuş
GK  TUR Luca Stančić
FW  UZB Eldor Shomurodov (on loan from Roma)

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
No. Pos. Nation Player

Non-playing staff

Administrative Staff

Position Name
President Göksel Gümüşdağ
General Manager Tamer Güngör
Administrative Director Murat Yaman
Administrative Manager Barbaros Göznelı
Stadium & Facilities Manager Ali Fuat Şen
Financial Affairs Manager Özay Aymak
Deputy Accounting Manager Haci İbrahim Aslan
Administrative Officer Tayfun Yağız Semiz
Administrative Officer Metiner Keşaplı
Media & Communications Gökhan Yılmaz
Photographer Okan Karadağ
Commercial & Sustainability Aslı Elif Koç Tiryaki
Licensing & Accreditation Tugay Kurtgöz
IT Officer Berat Turan
Ticketing Officer Tolgay Karagöz
Store Manager Erhan Saydam
Accounting Specialist Sertaç Dağlı
Transportation Hayrettin Yılmaz

Source: [24]

Technical Staff

Position Name
Head Coach Çağdaş Atan
Assistant Coach Mustafa Keçeli
Assistant Coach Hasan Fırat
Assistant Coach Murat Özkütükçü
Assistant Coach Cemal Atan
Performance Coach Emre Demirci
Performance Coach Ersin Akilveren
Goalkeeping Coach Murat Aslan
Goalkeeping Coach Mesut Keke
Match Analyst Serhan Erturhan
Match Analyst Murat Özdemir

Source: [25]

Medical and Support Staff

Position Name
Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anıl Işık
Club Doctor Dr. Armağan Aslan
Physiotherapist Dr. Rıdvan Seyhan
Physio Specialist Erdem Eray Aydın
Physio Specialist Furkan Heyik
Masseur Mehmet Ali Polat
Masseur Emrah Albay
Masseur Hasan Karahan
Specialist Dietitian İsmail Cerrah
Performance Psych Dr. Ertan Görgü
Translator Salih Gürel Güreli
Translator Feyyaz Ayhan Sezen
Equipment Manager Nurdoğan Dursun
Equipment Manager Kani Kurtgöz
Equipment Manager Enes Yalçınkaya

Source: [26]

Managers

Manager Tenure
Recai Çaloğlu 1994–1995
Cihat Erbil 1995
Turhan Özyazanlar 1995–1996
Fahrettin Genç 1996–2000
Ali Osman Renklibay 2000–2002
Kadir Özcan 2002
Ekrem Al 2002–2003
Ali Osman Renklibay 2003–2004
Uğur Tütüneker 2004–2005
Hüsnü Özkara 2005–2006
Abdullah Avcı 2006–2011
Arif Erdem 2011–2012
Carlos Carvalhal 2012
Bülent Korkmaz 2012–2013
Cihat Arslan 2013–2014
Transition to İstanbul Başakşehir F.K.
Abdullah Avcı 2014–2019
Okan Buruk 2019–2021
Aykut Kocaman 2021
Emre Belözoğlu 2021–2023
Çağdaş Atan 2023–present

Presidents

Name Tenure
Nurettin Sözen 1990–1994
Vural Akarçay 1994
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 1994–2000
Ali Müfit Gürtuna 2000–2002
Nuri Albayrak 2002–2005
Osman Aşkın Bak 2006
Göksel Gümüşdağ 2006–2011
Çağatay Kalkancı 2011–2014
Transition to İstanbul Başakşehir F.K.
Göksel Gümüşdağ 2014–present

Player records

Most appearances

Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of May 5th 2025

Rank Player Years League Cup Europe Other Total
1 Mahmut Tekdemir 2006–2024 426 38 36 0 500
2 Edin Višća 2011–2022 344 21 33 398
3 Volkan Babacan 2014–present 231 20 19 0 270
4 Alexandru Epureanu 2014–2023 214 22 26 0 262
5 Berkay Özcan 2019–present 166 17 34 0 217
6 Deniz Türüç 2020–Present 158 15 31 0 205
7 Júnior Caiçara 2017–2023 158 9 33 0 200
8 Doka Madureira 2011–2017 161 19 5 6 191
9 Ekrem Eksioglu 2006–2013 159 22 0 5 186
10 Danijel Aleksić 2019–2024 138 18 26 0 182

Top goalscorers

Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of May 5th 2025

Rank Player Years League Cup Europe Matches Total
1 Edin Višća 2011–2022 94 1 14 397 109
2 Krzysztof Piątek 2023–Present 38 1 9 81 48
3 Doka Madureira 2011–2017 37 2 1 191 45
4 Mehmet Batdal 2013–2018 31 8 0 126 39
5 Danijel Aleksić 2019–2024 27 4 6 182 37
6 Deniz Türüç 2020–Present 22 3 4 205 29
7 Emmanuel Adebayor 2017–2019 24 3 1 76 28
8 Ibrahim Akin 2008–2011 24 3 0 104 27
9 Samuel Holmén 2010–2013
2016–2017
22 4 139 27
10 Demba Ba 2018–2019 20 1 83 26

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2006–2007 Adidas İstaç
2007–2008 Lescon Sunny
2008–2009 Kalpen
2009–2010 Nike Turkcell
2010–2011 Medical Park
2011–2013 Fakir
2013–2014 Lescon
2014–2015 Adidas Makro
2015–2018 Nike
2018–2019 Macron Decovita
2019–2020 Mall of Istanbul
2020–2022 Bilcee Decovita
2022–2023 Joma Balkar
2023–2024 Todini
2024– Puma

Club records

References

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  4. ^ "Istanbul Basaksehir win Turkish title for first time to end big three dominance". The Guardian. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
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  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ford, Matt (11 March 2020). "Basaksehir: Champions League newcomers with Erdogan links". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
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  10. ^ a b c Irak, Dağhan (May 2020). "Football in Turkey during the Erdoğan regime". Soccer and Society. 21 (1). doi:10.1080/14660970.2020.1775045. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  11. ^ Kelly, James (1 March 2018). "Başakşehir: the controversial state-backed club threatening Turkey's established order". These Football Times. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  12. ^ "'FC Erdogan' -- Turkish title-winners aiming to unsettle Champions League elite". Be Soccer. 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  13. ^ "UEFA Club Coefficient Ranking". RankingandPrize.Com. n.d. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  14. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 2016". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  15. ^ Bert Kassies. "UEFA Team Ranking 2017". Xs4all.nl. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
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  23. ^ "A TAKIM". Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  24. ^ "İDARİ KADRO". ibfk.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  25. ^ "TEKNİK HEYET". ibfk.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  26. ^ "SAĞLIK VE FUTBOL DESTEK EKİBİ". ibfk.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 27 December 2024.