Besiktas

Besiktas is a professional Turkish football club based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club was founded as Beşiktaş J.K. in 1895 and officially became Besiktas S.K. in 1924. Besiktas played their first competitive match in 1912 against Istanbul J.K. The team competed in the Turkish First Division between 1912 and 1957, and in 1955 they reached the semi-finals of the Turkish Cup. They reached the Turkish Cup final in 1963, 1974, and 1984. Beşiktaş also participated in the UEFA Cup twice (1956 and 1977), the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1969 and 1974), the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1972), the UEFA Super Cup (1973 and 2005), the Mediterranean Club Cup (1984 and 1985), and the Turkish Cup (1985). The team reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup in 1977. After the Turkish Football Association banned professional football in 1988, the club played in the Turkey Amateur Cup until 1991. Besiktas was re-founded as AF Besiktas in 1992, and competed in the Second Division until 2004. They played in the Turkish Second Division from 2004 to 2008, the Turkish Super League from 2009 to 2013, and the Turkish Cup from 2014 to 2019.