Top 6 Best Football Club In Turkey | Galatasaray & Bursaspor

In the past, football was not popular in Turkey, and the people of this country were not very interested in football. Also, there were not many sports teams in this country, and competitions were not held professionally.

With Istanbul hosting the 2023 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, the value of football in Turkey and Istanbul has increased more than any other day. For this reason, Travelling Topic Tourism Magazine presented this article to introduce the best football club in Turkey so that you can understand the importance and value of football in Turkey.

The best football club in Turkey

Galatasaray is the first and best football club in Turkey. Galatasaray is located in the Galata neighborhood of Istanbul. Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup in the 1999-2000 season by defeating Arsenal in the final. Galatasaray means Galata Palace in Turkish. Galatasaray, the oldest and most popular club in Turkey, is also the most successful team in this country. Lions have won 21 times in the Turkish Super League, 17 times in the Turkish Cup (Turkey Kupasi), and 15 times in the Turkish Super Cup and are the most successful team in all three cups. This is why the title of the best football club in Turkey has been assigned to this team.

Galatasaray club has a unique feature among football teams: It is almost 20 years older than its own country. This club was formed on November 30, 1905, in the Ottoman period, and two decades later, with the formation of Turkey, Galata was recognized as one of the clubs in Turkey.

Lion, symbol of Galatasaray club

Lion or Aslan in Turkish is the symbol of the best football club in Turkey, Galatasaray. The choice of the lion symbol for the yellow and red Galatasaray team goes back to the footballer ‘Nihat Bedik’ nicknamed Aslan Nihat. He started playing in Galatasaray in 1916. Besides football, he also participated in the long jump, horse riding, swimming, and sailing. Bedik wore the Galatasaray uniform 268 times in 20 years.

He was the captain of the Galatasaray team for eight years and wore the national team’s uniform 18 times; in 8 of these 18 games, he was the captain of the Turkish national team. During this time, “Nihat Bedik” was nicknamed “Aslan,” which means “lion,” by the audience, and his nickname was chosen as the symbol of Galatasaray.

Turkish football clubs

In Turkish football, many clubs try to become one of the best teams in Turkey, like Galatasaray.

Of all the Turkish football league clubs, only six teams have won the championship: Istanbul Basaksehir, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Trabzonspor, and Bursaspor.

In the following, we introduce the most important football teams in Turkey.

Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe football team is one of Turkey’s successful and most popular football clubs. The name of this club is taken from the name of the Fenerbahçe neighborhood in Istanbul. The club currently competes in the Turkish Super League and the Turkish Cup.

The yellow canary is the symbol of Fenerbahçe’s yellow and blue team. The choice of this symbol is related to Cihat Arman, Fenerbahçe’s goalkeeper, the goalkeeper who was called the bird goalkeeper.

Alp Bayoglu, director of the Fenerbahçe club museum, says: Cihat Arman, who started playing in Fenerbahçe in 1933, was the goalkeeper of this team until 1952. At that time, he was considered the best goalkeeper in Turkey, nicknamed the bird goalkeeper. He usually went to the field in canary yellow clothes; he caught the balls thrown into the corner of the goal like a bird. Fenerbahçe has a strong rivalry with Galatasaray, so some people consider this team the best football club in Turkey.

Besiktas

Besiktas Football Club is one of Turkish football clubs located in Istanbul and currently plays in the Turkish Football Super League. The club was founded on March 4, 1903, and has won the Turkish Football Super League 15 times.

Besiktas black and white team is another famous team in Turkey. The choice of the black eagle symbol for this team goes back to the fans’ slogan. In 1940, Besiktas increased its points difference from its rivals in every game. That year, five weeks before the end of the league competition, this team played against Suleimaniyeh. In that game, Besiktas fans shouted, “Black eagles attack,” and after Besiktas won 6-0, the black eagle became the symbol of the Besiktas club.

Trabzonspor

The Trabzonspor football team was founded in Trabzon in 1967 and the nickname of this team is Storm of the Black Sea, and plays in the Turkish Football Super League. Trabzon, 6 championships and 8 runners-up in the league, is considered one of the most successful clubs of the Super League. It is one of the most popular teams in Turkey.

Bursaspor

The Bursaspor football team is established in the city of Bursa. And plays in the Turkish Super League. This club was founded in 1963, who once won the championship position in the Turkish Super League. And once has won the championship position in the Turkish Cup.

On a final note

This article introduced the best football club in Turkey and other successful clubs in Turkey. Turkey is one of the leading countries in tourism, sports, economy, etc. Turkish football clubs have won many honors in European football, and great players have played in this country. If you have had the experience of going to Turkish stadiums, share your thoughts with us in the comments section.