Besiktas

According to the club's own archives, Beşiktaş traces its origins to March 1903, when local athletes in Serencebey formed a gymnastics society known as the “Bereket Jimnastik Kulübü.” Activities initially focused on gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, fencing, and athletics.

Following the restoration of the constitutional monarchy in 1908 and the political turmoil surrounding the 31 March Incident (1909), prominent fencer Fuat Balkan and weightlifter/wrestler Mazhar Kazancı active in Edirne moved to Istanbul and joined the group, encouraging more organized training. Around this time the society adopted the name “Beşiktaş Osmanlı Jimnastik Kulübü” (Beşiktaş Ottoman Gymnastics Club), with founding member Mehmet Şamil Şhaplı elected as the first president.

On 13 January 1910, the club was formally registered with the authorities in the Ottoman Empire, becoming one of the earliest officially recognized sports clubs in the capital. Membership expanded quickly, and the headquarters moved from Ihlamur to Akaretler first to Building No. 49 and later to No. 84 where the yard behind the building was adapted for sport.

By 1911, youths from the Beşiktaş district who had formed the football sides “Valideçeşme” and “Basiret,” under the influence of Şeref Bey, were incorporated into the club. This step broadened the club beyond gymnastics to a multi-branch structure including football, rowing, and other disciplines.

Early club publications long repeated that the original colours were red and white, later changed to black and white in mourning for members lost during the Balkan Wars. Some later research and club-produced documentaries, however, doubt whether red-white was ever used in official competition, suggesting black-white predominated from an early stage. The issue remains debated in the literature.

With football rising in popularity in the Ottoman Empire by 1910, members of Beşiktaş increasingly shifted focus from gymnastics to the new code. In August 1911, Ahmed Şerafettin organized the club's first football side.

During World War I and the occupation of Istanbul, activity slowed as many athletes were mobilized; after the war Şeref Bey led the rebuilding of the squad. Beşiktaş did not participate in the Friday League or Sunday League, but in 1918 captured the Istanbul Turkish 1st Sports League title; the team repeated the success in 1921.

In 1924, Beşiktaş entered the Istanbul Football League and won the first championship of the 1923–24 season. Through the mid-1930s, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were the dominant Istanbul sides, but Beşiktaş collected a second Istanbul League crown in 1933–34. In 1934, Beşiktaş lifted its first national title, the Turkish Football Championship, defeating Altay 3–1 in the final on 29 October 1934.

The Turkish National League (’‘Milli Küme’’) began in 1937. After finishing fourth in the 1936–37 Istanbul League to qualify, Beşiktaş placed third in the 1937–38 Istanbul League and second in the 1938 ‘‘Milli Küme’’ behind Güneş.

Beşiktaş then set a record with five consecutive Istanbul League titles from 1939 to 1943. In ‘‘Milli Küme’’, the club finished 4th (1939), 5th (1940), 1st (1941), and 3rd (1943); the 1942 edition was not held due to wartime conditions. Domestically, Beşiktaş also won the Istanbul League in 1944–45 and 1945–46, and captured national ‘‘Milli Küme’’ titles in 1944 and 1947.

In May–June 1950, Beşiktaş undertook a month-long tour of the United States, playing seven fixtures against regional all-star selections and, in the New York finale, Manchester United. The team finished the trip with 5 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat (GF 27, GA 10), with stops including New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia; on returning to Turkey in mid-June the squad was received by President Celâl Bayar in Ankara.

Professional football was formally adopted in Turkey on 24 September 1951, paving the way for a national league later in the decade. TFF launched the nationwide Millî Lig in 1959, played in two groups with a two-leg final; Fenerbahçe won the inaugural title, while Beşiktaş finished second in the White Group.

Beşiktaş claimed their first national league championship the very next season (1959–60), a campaign remembered for an eleven 1–0 wins record, and qualified for the 1960–61 European Cup, where they debuted versus Rapid Wien (0–4 a, 1–0 h; Rapid won 4–1 agg.).

The club added back-to-back league titles in 1965–66 and 1966–67, and lifted their first national super cup (then the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası) in 1967 after beating Altay 1–0; the inaugural 1966 edition had been won by Galatasaray over Beşiktaş. The 1970s were leaner in the league—Beşiktaş’s best finish was runners-up in 1973–74—but the club remained a constant in the top three and in European qualification.

A 14-season title drought ended in 1981–82 under coach Đorđe Milić. Another league crown followed in 1985–86 after a tight race with Galatasaray (level on points, superior goal difference/average to Beşiktaş). Internationally, Beşiktaş reached the 1986–87 European Cup quarter-finals, losing to Dynamo Kyiv (0–5 h in İzmir, 0–2 a).

English coach Gordon Milne took charge in 1987 and imposed a disciplined 4–4–2, quick flank play and aggressive pressing. He leaned on club stalwarts such as Rıza Çalımbay and built around a young forward line that would soon define the period. Metin Tekin, Ali Gültiken and Feyyaz Uçar formed the MAF trio—supporters’ shorthand for Beşiktaş’s most celebrated strikeforce. Their movement and finishing underpinned the side's goals and its identity through the early 1990s.

Milne delivered three consecutive league titles: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92. The last of these remains the Süper Lig’s only unbeaten championship: P30 W23 D7 L0. Beşiktaş set the league's biggest winning margin by beating Adana Demirspor 10–0 on 15 October 1989 at Ali Sami Yen; the goals were shared by Ali Gültiken (4), Metin Tekin (3) and Feyyaz Uçar (3) a snapshot of the MAF era at full tilt.

Regular European qualification returned. In the 1991–92 European Cup, Beşiktaş met PSV Eindhoven in the first round (0–1 agg.: 0–0 in Istanbul, 0–1 in Eindhoven).

With Gordon Milne gone in 1993, Beşiktaş stayed competitive while reshaping the squad around senior leaders (e.g. Rıza Çalımbay) and emerging names such as Sergen Yalçın and Ertuğrul Sağlam. Under Christoph Daum, Beşiktaş won the 1994–95 1.Lig, finishing three points clear and returning to the UEFA Champions League as champions.

Beşiktaş also lifted two major domestic cups in the mid-1990s. First came the 1993–94 Turkish Cup, won over Galatasaray (0–0 away; 3–2 at İnönü). Beşiktaş then beat Galatasaray 3–1 to win the 1994 Presidential Cup at Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium, with goals from Feyyaz Uçar, Metin Tekin and Sergen Yalçın.

After Rasim Kara (1996–97), John Toshack took over (1997–99) and delivered Beşiktaş’s 1997–98 Turkish Cup, defeating Galatasaray on penalties after two 1–1 legs, and then the 1998 Presidential Cup (2–1 a.e.t.). Toshack's tenure ended when Real Madrid paid compensation to appoint him in February 1999, underscoring the profile he had rebuilt in Istanbul.

On the European stage, Beşiktaş frequently qualified through the decade and returned to the UEFA Champions League group phase in 1997–98, finishing their campaign at that stage; UEFA records list the season under the club's group-stage appearances.

Brief spells followed under Karl-Heinz Feldkamp and Hans-Peter Briegel, leading into the Nevio Scala appointment for 2000–01 and the club's first multi-group Champions League era—setting the stage for Beşiktaş’s modern period in the 2000s.

After appointing Mircea Lucescu, Beşiktaş won the Süper Lig in their centenary season (2002–03) with 85 points (26–7–1), eight clear of Galatasaray. The team conceded 21 league goals and finished the campaign unbeaten at İnönü (home: 14–3–0). Beşiktaş clinched the title on 31 May 2003 with a 4–3 away win at Samsunspor.

Derbies were decisive: Beşiktaş defeated Galatasaray 1–0 away on 8 December 2002 and 1–0 at İnönü on 25 May 2003; they also beat Fenerbahçe 1–0 in Kadıköy on 2 February 2003 and 2–0 at İnönü on 20 April 2003. In Europe, Beşiktaş eliminated Sarajevo (2–2, 5–0), Alavés (1–1, 1–0), Dynamo Kyiv (3–1 agg.) and Slavia Praha (4–3 agg.) to reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, where they lost to Lazio (0–1, 1–2). Goalkeeper Óscar Córdoba recorded 18 clean sheets in 31 league matches that season.

In June 2004 the club appointed Vicente del Bosque on a two-year deal; the tenure ended in January 2005, after which former captain Rıza Çalımbay took charge for the remainder of the season. Under Çalımbay, Beşiktaş stabilized results in the spring, climbed into the European places, and closed the campaign with a positive goal difference and one of the league's better defensive records. A defining match that spring was the 4–3 away derby win over Fenerbahçe at Kadıköy on 17 April 2005, when forward Daniel Pancu finished the game in goal after Óscar Córdoba was sent off; Pancu's saves preserved the result, and the match entered club lore as “Kaleci Pancu”.

In the Turkish Cup, the team advanced to the later rounds before elimination by top-flight opposition; in Europe, Beşiktaş featured in the UEFA Cup playing the autumn group stage but failing to progress to the knockouts.

A rebuild followed under Jean Tigana (October 2005–May 2007). Across two seasons Beşiktaş placed third and then second in the Süper Lig, won consecutive Türkiye Kupası finals in 2005–06 (3–2 a.e.t. v Fenerbahçe) and 2006–07 (1–0 a.e.t. v Kayseri Erciyesspor), and lifted the inaugural Turkish Super Cup in 2006 (1–0 v Galatasaray). In Europe, the team reached the UEFA Cup group stage in both seasons before elimination at that round. Tigana departed in May 2007 and the club moved on to Ertuğrul Sağlam.

Ertuğrul Sağlam was appointed in July 2007 and took Beşiktaş through two qualifying rounds into the Champions League group stage. They beat Sheriff Tiraspol 4–0 on aggregate (1–0 in Istanbul on 1 August; 3–0 away on 8 August), and then overcame FC Zürich 3–1 on aggregate (1–1 at Letzigrund on 15 August; 2–0 at İnönü on 29 August).

Drawn with Porto, Marseille and Liverpool in Group A, Beşiktaş beat Liverpool 2–1 in Istanbul on 24 October 2007, but lost 8–0 at Anfield on 6 November, a competition record margin at the time, and finished fourth in the section with one win from six. Domestically the team placed third in the 2007–08 Süper Lig with 73 points, as recorded by the Turkish Football Federation. Sağlam left early the following season and was succeeded by Mustafa Denizli.

In the 2008–09 season, veteran coach Mustafa Denizli the only manager to have won the Süper Lig with all three Istanbul giants led Beşiktaş to a domestic double. On 13 May 2009 the club beat Fenerbahçe 4–2 in the Turkish Cup final at İzmir Atatürk Stadium and, four days later, secured the league title with a 2–1 win away to Denizlispor.

In 2009–10, Beşiktaş opened with the 2009 Turkish Super Cup and lost 2–0 to Fenerbahçe at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 2 August 2009. As domestic double holders they entered the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage in Group B with Manchester United, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg. Beşiktaş finished fourth with four points but recorded a landmark 1–0 win away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 25 November 2009.

In the league they finished fourth and took a UEFA Europa League place for the following season; forward Bobô led the team with 12 league goals. As defending cup champions they entered the 2009–10 Turkish Cup directly in the group phase but were eliminated after finishing fourth in Group D.

In 2010–11, Beşiktaş assembled a high-profile squad with summer arrivals Guti and Ricardo Quaresma, followed in January by Simão and Hugo Almeida and Manuel Fernandes on loan. Head coach Bernd Schuster resigned in March 2011 and Tayfur Havutçu took over for the run-in.

In Europe, Beşiktaş advanced from the UEFA Europa League group stage behind eventual champions Porto, but were eliminated by Dynamo Kyiv in the round of 32. Domestically the club finished fifth in the Süper Lig and secured European qualification by winning the 2011 Turkish Cup, defeating İstanbul BB on penalties after a 2–2 draw (a.e.t.) at Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri on 11 May 2011. UEFA later sanctioned Beşiktaş in connection with match-fixing allegations related to that final; the club received a one-season ban from European competition in 2013, a decision upheld by the CAS in August 2013.

In 2012–13, Beşiktaş appointed Samet Aybaba amid financial restructuring and a younger squad profile. The team finished third in the Süper Lig and secured European qualification via league position, while exiting the Turkish Cup in the earlier rounds. In summer 2013, however, UEFA imposed a one-season suspension that barred the club from taking up its European berth; the CAS upheld the decision in August 2013.

For 2013–14, the club appointed Slaven Bilić and began the redevelopment of İnönü, playing most home matches at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Beşiktaş again placed third in the league; because of the UEFA sanction, the club did not compete in Europe that season.

In 2014–15, Bilić led Beşiktaş to a title race (third in the final table) and a strong UEFA Europa League campaign. Beşiktaş won Group C ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, Asteras Tripolis and Partizan, then eliminated Liverpool in the round of 32 after a 1–1 aggregate (5–4 pens.) before going out to Club Brugge in the round of 16 (1–2 away, 1–3 home).

Beşiktaş appointed Şenol Güneş in June 2015 on a two–year contract with an option to extend. During 2015–16, the club returned to Dolmabahçe and opened the rebuilt Vodafone Park on 11 April 2016 with a 3–2 league win over Bursaspor; Mario Gómez scored the first official goal at the new ground. Beşiktaş secured the league title a month later by defeating Osmanlıspor 3–1 on 15 May 2016; Gómez finished as top scorer with 26 league goals. In Europe, Beşiktaş competed in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage (Group H) with Sporting CP, Lokomotiv Moskva and Skënderbeu, finishing third.

Beşiktaş retained the championship in 2016–17, clinching the title with a 4–0 away win at Gaziantepspor on 28 May 2017. In Europe, the club played the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League (Group B with Benfica, Napoli and Dynamo Kyiv), finished third, and transferred to the UEFA Europa League where they defeated Hapoel Beer-Sheva (5–2 agg.) and Olympiacos (5–2 agg.) before going out to Lyon on penalties after a 2–2 aggregate in the quarter-finals.

In 2017–18 Beşiktaş topped a Champions League group for the first time in Turkish football history, finishing unbeaten on 14 points in Group G against Porto, Monaco and RB Leipzig. They were eliminated in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich (8–1 agg.; 0–5 in Munich, 1–3 in Istanbul). The domestic season was marked by the abandoned Intercontinental Derby semi-final in the Turkish Cup on 19 April 2018, when an object struck Güneş at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. The TFF ordered the match to resume behind closed doors; Beşiktaş declined to appear, whereupon the TFF awarded the tie to Fenerbahçe and banned Beşiktaş from the 2018–19 Turkish Cup and Super Cup.

In 2018–19 Beşiktaş competed in the UEFA Europa League group stage (Group I with Genk, Malmö and Sarpsborg), failing to advance, and finished third in the league. In March 2019 the TFF announced that Güneş would assume the Turkey job in June; he remained in post at Beşiktaş until the end of the season.

In 2019–20, Beşiktaş began under Abdullah Avcı and played the UEFA Europa League group stage (Group K with Braga, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Slovan Bratislava), finishing fourth. Avcı departed in January 2020; former player Sergen Yalçın was appointed and led an upturn after the COVID-19 suspension, with matches completed behind closed doors. The club finished third in the league; because Trabzonspor received a one-season UEFA ban for FFP breaches (upheld by CAS in July 2020), Beşiktaş took the Champions League second-qualifying slot for 2020–21.

In 2020–21, Yalçın's side won the league and cup double. In Europe they were eliminated in the Champions League second qualifying round by PAOK (1–3, one-leg tie in Thessaloniki) and then on penalties by Rio Ave in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. Domestically Beşiktaş captured the Süper Lig title on the final day with a 2–1 win at Göztepe to edge Galatasaray on goal difference, then won the Turkish Cup three days later by defeating Antalyaspor 2–0 in İzmir.

In 2021–22, as champions Beşiktaş returned to the UEFA Champions League group stage (Group C with Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP), finishing fourth after six defeats. Sergen Yalçın resigned in December 2021; academy coach Önder Karaveli served as caretaker before Valérien Ismaël was appointed in March 2022 for the run-in. Beşiktaş finished sixth in the league and won the 2021 Turkish Super Cup (played 5 January 2022 in Doha), defeating Antalyaspor on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

In 2022–23, Beşiktaş did not compete in Europe and focused on domestic competitions. After parting with Valérien Ismaël in late October, the club reappointed Şenol Güneş as head coach. In January, Wout Weghorst's loan ended early for a move to Manchester United and Vincent Aboubakar returned. Beşiktaş then put together a long unbeaten run in spring, including a 4–2 away win at Fenerbahçe on 2 April 2023 and a 3–1 home victory over Galatasaray on 30 April 2023. Following the February earthquakes, Hatayspor and Gaziantep FK withdrew from the league; remaining fixtures against those clubs were awarded as 3–0 wins and previous results stood, per TFF rulings. Beşiktaş finished third in the league and exited the Turkish Cup in the quarter-finals.

Beşiktaş began 2023–24 season with Şenol Güneş, but a run of poor results capped by a 3–2 home collapse to Lugano in the Europa Conference League—led to his resignation on 6 October 2023; assistant Burak Yılmaz acted briefly before Rıza Çalımbay was appointed on 10 November. Amid the downturn, the club held a presidential election on 3 December 2023, in which Hasan Arat defeated incumbent Ahmet Nur Çebi and took office at an extraordinary congress. Seeking stability, Beşiktaş appointed Fernando Santos in January 2024, but dismissed him on 13 April 2024 after continued underperformance; academy coach Serdar Topraktepe took interim charge and won the 2023–24 Turkish Cup with a 3–2 victory over Trabzonspor at Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 23 May 2024.

Beşiktaş began the 2024–25 season by appointing Dutch coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst in June, and got off to a historic start by winning the 2024 Turkish Super Cup in emphatic fashion. On 3 August 2024, they defeated arch-rivals Galatasaray 5–0 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul—marking the largest winning margin in Turkish Super Cup history.

Form dipped in autumn; UEFA moved the home Europa League tie against Maccabi Tel-Aviv to Debrecen behind closed doors for security reasons and Beşiktaş lost 3–1 there, and the club parted ways with Van Bronckhorst at the end of November. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed head coach in January and marked his first European match with a 4–1 win over Athletic Club, while his side also recorded derby victories over both Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray later in the league campaign; Beşiktaş nevertheless finished fourth in the Süper Lig.