If you’re a football enthusiast, then you must know how exciting the sport is, especially when it comes to the international level. Turkey, for one, is a country famous for its love of football, and the passion for the sport has driven Turkish clubs to compete on the global stage. Turkish football has gone through several significant transformations over time. From the golden years of the 1950s to the present day, Turkish football has witnessed many successes and setbacks, and today we’ll explore a historical perspective on the rise and fall of Turkish football clubs.
The late 1950s and early 60s regarded as the “golden years” of Turkish football, where Turkey was home to some of the world’s best clubs. Istanbul’s three major clubs, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas, were known for their exceptional performances in European tournaments, and the country was home to two different European Cup finalists. However, this era ended with a political coup d’etat in Turkey in 1960, which led to many footballers leaving the country.
After the golden era of Turkish football ended, a new generation of players emerged, and the 1970s and 80s saw a shift in the balance of power between Istanbul’s big three. Trabzonspor, a club from the northeast of Turkey, rose to prominence during this period under the leadership of former Turkish international footballer Şenol Güneş. The success of Trabzonspor at the time propelled them to win six of their eight Turkish League titles between 1976-1984.
In the 1990s, Istanbul’s clubs regained dominance, with Galatasaray winning back-to-back UEFA Cup and Super Cup titles in 2000 and Fenerbahce reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2007. But, with the emergence of online gambling, match-fixing allegations, and financial scandals, Turkish football has lost some of its credibility. In 2011, Fenerbahce and Besiktas were both implicated in match-fixing scandals, and the Turkish Football Federation handed down severe sanctions, banning Fenerbahce from the Champions League the following year and relegating Besiktas to the second division.
More recently, Turkish football has experienced moments of glory as Galatasaray lifted their first Turkish Süper Lig title since 2015/16, whilst an impressive season from Istanbul Basaksehir saw them claim the title for the very first time. In Europe, Turkish football is still yet to reach the heights of the early 2000s, with only one quarter-final appearance in the Champions League in the last decade.
In conclusion, Turkish football clubs have gone through phases of extraordinary success and occasional setbacks throughout their history. While the golden era of Turkish football from the 1950s to the 60s remains as a prominent part of Turkish football history, the emergence of Trabzonspor and the successes of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have shaped Turkish Football as we know it today. While Turkish football may have hit a few bumps in the road, it remains a beautiful and exciting aspect of Turkish culture and, with the right planning and management, it can emerge even brighter in the future.
