Be?ikta? JK

Full name	Be?ikta? Jimnastik Kulübü[1]
Nickname(s)	Kara Kartallar (Black Eagles)[2][3] Siyah Beyazl?lar (Black and Whites)
Short name	BJK
Founded	3 March 1903; 117 years ago (1903-03-03) as Be?ikta? Bereket Jimnastik Kulübü[4]
Ground	Vodafone Park, Be?ikta?, Istanbul
Capacity	41,903
President	Ahmet Nur Çebi[5][6]
Head coach	Sergen Yalç?n
League	Süper Lig
2019-20	Süper Lig, 3rd
Website	Club website
Current season

Be?ikta? Jimnastik Kulübü (English: Be?ikta? Gymnastics Club), also known simply as Be?ikta? (Turkish pronunciation: [be'?ikta?]), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903, and based in the Be?ikta? district of Istanbul, Turkey. The club's football team is one of the most successful teams in Turkey, having never been relegated to a lower division. The team last won the Turkish Süper Lig championship during the 2016-17 season. The home ground of Be?ikta? is Vodafone Park, a 41,903 capacity all-seater 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, parasports, esports, and beach football.^[7]

History

Active departments of Be?ikta? J.K.
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

Mehmet ?amil ?hapl?, one of the founding members and first president of Be?ikta? JK

Members of Be?ikta? JK in 1903

Bereket Gymnastics Club was founded on 3 March 1903 under special permission from the authorities.^[8] 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 Kazanc?, who were in Edirne, came to Istanbul with the Movement Army. After the restoration of political order, Fuat Balkan, a proven fencing coach, and Mazhar Kazanc?, a good wrestler and weight lifter, found the youths involved in gymnastics in Serencebey and persuaded them to train together. Refik and ?erafettin Beys, friends of Fuat Bey, were also good fencers. Fuat Balkan made the first floor of his home in Ihlamur the Club's headquarters, and the title of Bereket Gymnastics Club was changed to Be?ikta? Ottoman Gymnastics Club. Thus, a stronger sports club, where gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, fencing and athletics were emphasized, was formed. Founding member Mehmet ?amil ?hapl? was elected the first president of the club.^[9]

In the meantime, Be?ikta? Ottoman Gymnastics Club became the first registered Turkish sports club on 13 January 1910 with the encouragement of Beyo?lu Governor Muhittin Bey. The interest among the youths of the neighbourhood in the sports club grew and the number of members involved in sports quickly 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 Be?ikta? district of Istanbul formed two football clubs called "Valideçe?me" and "Basiret" under the leadership of ?eref Bey. The Valideçe?me and Basiret football clubs joined under the roof of Be?ikta? Ottoman Gymnastics Club in 1911. In a very short time, football became the foremost branch in the club.

For years, the original colours of Be?ikta? were believed to be Red and White; and then temporarily changed into Black and White as a sign of mourning for the dead in the Balkan Wars, which included some players of the club. Although most written sources endorse this claim, a detailed study carried out for Be?ikta?'s 100th anniversary documentary had shown that red was never used in club's first colors; and Be?ikta?'s colours were always Black and White.^[10]

Initial years of football

1923-24 Istanbul League champions

Be?ikta? players before the match against Galatasaray, 19 March 1939.

With football becoming the main sport of the Ottoman Empire around 1910, Be?ikta? members slowly started to give more attention to football. In August 1911, Ahmed ?erafettin started the football team. With the outbreak of World War I following the Balkan Wars, sporting activities at the club effectively came to a halt as many athletes left to serve on the front lines.^[11] While the end of the war allowed surviving athletes to return, the team faced a difficult period during the Occupation of Istanbul, but was able to recover with the hard work of ?eref Bey.^[12] Be?ikta? did not enter the Istanbul Friday and Sunday leagues, and did not 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, Be?ikta? entered the Istanbul Football League along with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and other Istanbul teams. Be?ikta? became the league's first champion in 1924, but was not able to have more success in the league. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were the two dominant teams through the middle of the 1930s.

Be?ikta? 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 inaugural season, Be?ikta? finished in fourth place, which earned them a berth in the National League. Be?ikta? finished third place in the National League, behind Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. In 1938, Be?ikta? finished in third place in the Istanbul League and second place in the National League, behind Güne?. Be?ikta? won a record five consecutive Istanbul League championships between 1939 and 1943. In the National League, Be?ikta? finished fourth in 1939, fifth in 1940, first in 1941 and third in 1943 (in 1942 the 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, Be?ikta? 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, Be?ikta? 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, Be?ikta? finished second.

Silent 1970s

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

1980s Revival

Be?ikta? 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 a major problem that had started in Europe and had also spread throughout Turkey. Be?ikta? fan hooliganism had been an 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

Interior of Vodafone Park

The new Vodafone Park Stadium from the air

Be?ikta? 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, Be?ikta? became the first and only undefeated champions in Süper Lig history.^[13][14]

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

Recent years

Be?ikta? won the 1994-95 1.Lig with the German coach Christoph Daum. Their next league title was in 2002-03 with the Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu, they also reached the quarter-finals of the 2002-03 UEFA Cup. In 2008-09 season, Be?ikta? won the league with coach Mustafa Denizli.

Later on, Be?ikta? won the league twice in 2015-16 and 2016-17; in addition, they reached the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals for the second time, and the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the first time in their history.^[17]

Nicknames

There is a legend surrounding the nicknaming of the team as "The Black Eagles". Be?ikta?, the title holder of the previous two seasons, started the 1940-41 season with a young and renewed team. As the weeks went by, the team had built up a sizeable lead at the top of the league table. With five weeks remaining in the season, the opponent was Süleymaniye. Be?ikta? had started the game in ?eref Stadium on Sunday 19 January 1941, with the following players: Faruk, Yavuz, ?brahim, R?fat, Halil, Hüseyin, ?akir, Hakk?, ?ükrü, ?eref, E?ref. The team went ahead in the first half. Midway through the second half of the game, Be?ikta? attacked continuously, despite being in front. And then, according to legend, a voice was heard from the stands towards which Be?ikta? 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. Be?ikta? finished the game with a 6-0 win. The Be?ikta? 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 Be?ikta? community as their team's nickname.^[18]

Stadium

The old BJK ?nönü Stadium entrance, displaying the club emblem and stars for Turkish Super League championships.

Be?ikta? play their home games at Vodafone Park. Completed in 2016, it was built on the site of Be?ikta?'s former home, BJK ?nönü Stadium.

Honours

Photo of the 2002-03 Süper Lig trophy, won by Be?ikta? during the club's centenary year (1903-2003)

Domestic

National Championships

• Turkish Super League
  • 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
  • Runners-up (14): 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1967-68, 1973-74, 1983-84, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2006-07
• Turkish National Division
  • Winners: 1941, 1944, 1947
  • Runners-up: 1938, 1945, 1946
• Turkish Football Championship
  • Winners: 1934, 1951
  • Runners-up: 1941, 1946

National Cups

Photo of the 2006-07 Turkish Cup, won by Be?ikta?.

• Turkish Cup
  • Winners (9): 1974-75, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1993-94, 1997-98, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11
  • Runners-up (6): 1965-66, 1976-77, 1983-84, 1992-93, 1998-99, 2001-02
• Turkish Super Cup
  • Winners (8): 1967, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2006
  • Runners-up (12): 1966, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2007, 2009, 2016, 2017
• Atatürk Cup
  • Winners: 2000
  • Runners-up: 1998

Minor competitions

• Alpen Cup
  • Winners (1): 2004
• Efes Cup
  • Winners (1): 2006
• Soma Tournament
  • Winners (1): 2014
• Royal Cup
  • Winners (1): 2015

UEFA achievements

• European Cup/UEFA Champions League
  • Quarter-finals: 1986-87
• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
  • Quarter-finals: 2002-03, 2016-17

Others

• Turkish Amateur Football Championship
  • Winners: 1985, 1988
• TSYD Cup
  • Winners (12) (shared-record): 1964-65, 1965-66, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1996-97
• Prime Minister's Cup
  • Winners (6): 1944, 1947, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1997
  • Runners-up: 1987, 1996
• 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

Recent seasons

Last updated: 1 August 2020 (2020-08-01)
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; UC=UEFA Cup; UEL=UEFA Europa League; Cup=Turkish Cup
Background colours: Gold=winners; Silver=runners-up; Bronze=third

European record

Statistics

As of 25 August 2020^[19]

Legend: GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.

UEFA club coefficient ranking

As of 26 July 2020^[20]

Rank	Team	Points
41	AC Milan	33.000 (+14.666 National Association Contribution)
42	PSV Eindhoven	40.000
43	Be?ikta? JK	38.000
44	KRC Genk	37.500
45	Inter Milan	30.000

Players

Current squad

As of 8 October 2020^[21][22]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  FRA Valentin Rosier (on loan from Sporting CP) 4 DF  ESP Francisco Montero (on loan from Atlético Madrid) 5 MF  BRA Souza 7 MF  FRA Georges-Kévin Nkoudou 9 FW  TUR Güven Yalç?n 10 MF  TUR O?uzhan Özyakup (Vice-captain) 12 DF  TUR Erdo?an Kaya 13 MF  CAN Atiba Hutchinson (Captain) 14 FW  CMR Vincent Aboubakar 17 FW  CAN Cyle Larin 18 FW  ALG Rachid Ghezzal (on loan from Leicester City) 19 MF  BIH Ajdin Hasi? 20 MF  TUR Necip Uysal

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 DF  COD Fabrice N'Sakala 22 MF  SRB Adem Ljaji? 23 DF  BRA Welinton 24 DF  CRO Domagoj Vida (Vice-captain) 26 MF  TUR Dorukhan Toköz 27 MF  TUR Atakan Üner 30 GK  TUR Ersin Destano?lu 33 DF  TUR R?dvan Y?lmaz 41 MF  TUR Kartal Y?lmaz 43 MF  GHA Bernard Mensah (on loan from Kayserispor) 61 GK  TUR Emre Bilgin 70 MF  TUR Gökhan Töre 97 GK  TUR 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. Pos. Nation Player -- DF  TUR Alpay Çelebi (at Alanyaspor until 30 June 2021) -- DF  TUR Ahmet Gülay (at Alanyaspor until 30 June 2022) -- DF  TUR Kerem Kalafat (at Giresunspor until 30 June 2021) -- MF  TUR Mertcan Aç?kgöz (at Eyüpspor until 30 June 2021)

No. Pos. Nation Player -- MF  TUR Erdem Seçgin (at ?negölspor until 30 June 2021) -- MF  TUR Emre Y?ld?z (at 24 Erzincanspor until 30 June 2021) -- FW  TUR O?uzhan Akgün (at Alt?nordu until 30 June 2022) -- FW  TUR Umut Nayir (at Hajduk Split until 30 June 2021)

Other players under contract

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  FRA Nicolas Isimat-Mirin — DF  BRA Douglas — MF  NED Jeremain Lens

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  TUR Muhayer Oktay — MF  USA Tyler Boyd

Coaching staff

As of 21 August 2020^[23][24]

Position	Staff
Head Coach	Sergen Yalç?n
Assistant Coach	Murat ?ahin
Assistant Coach	Ozan Köprülü
Goalkeeper Coach	Levent Aç?l
Fitness Coach	Stefano Morrone
Analyst	Murat Kaymaz
Scout	Gürsoy Yalç?n
Scout	Serdar Topraktepe

Coaching history

There have been coaches from various European countries at the helm of the club. The longest serving coach of Be?ikta? is ?eref Bey, coaching the club for 14 years. The most successful coach is Gordon Milne, winning the league three times in a row along with other trophies as well.^[25]

Presidential History

Sponsorships

References

External links

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