Uzbekistan national team forward Eldor Shomurodov will spend the new season in the Turkish league on loan. Roma has loaned him to Istanbul Başakşehir. Also, Abbos Faizullaev, who has been playing for Russia’s CSKA, is moving to this very club. It is rare for two Uzbek footballers to be teammates at a European club, so detailed information about this club will be provided below. Although Turkish clubs are familiar to Uzbek fans, there is less information available about "Istanbul Başakşehir" compared to other giants.
History and Foundation of the Club
The club is relatively young, having been founded in 1990 in the Büyükşehir district of Istanbul. It should be noted that the club’s structure resembled that of former Soviet teams. The club was entirely state-owned, and players were assigned to various government institutions where they were paid salaries. The team primarily participated in lower leagues, and most fans had no idea about the existence of such a team, with government employees mainly attending the matches.
By 2007, the team secured second place in the first league and earned a promotion to the Süper Lig. In the first six years in the Süper Lig, the club mainly stayed in the lower ranks, with the most memorable event being their appearance in the Turkish Cup final in the 2010/11 season. At that time, the team gave a worthy fight against Beşiktaş, but lost only in a penalty shootout. In the 2012/13 season, the team was relegated from the Süper Lig, but the following year, they returned to the elite by winning the first league.
Second Phase. Reforms. Connections with Erdoğan
In 2014, the Turkish government started focusing on privatizing football clubs, and "Istanbul B.B." (Büyükşehir Belediyesi) was one of the first to break away from government control, participating under the name "Istanbul Başakşehir." The club's logo changed, and new sponsors emerged.
It should be noted that Turkish football did not warmly accept the new club. This is because, in the public's perception, the club was still seen as a government project, and there were enough reasons to think so.
Firstly, when the club was founded in 1990, the mayor of the city was Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which symbolically suggested his involvement in the establishment of the club. Later, a person closely related to Erdoğan became the president of the club, and most of the club’s sponsors were members of the ruling party. In 2014, when the new stadium was opened, Erdoğan himself attended the ceremony and even stepped onto the field with the number 12, which was later retired in his honor. Because of this, the club is sometimes referred to as "Erdoğan F.C."
One thing should be noted here. As is known, Turkish football "sits" on three giants - "Galatasaray", "Fenerbahce" and "Besiktas", and the fans are divided into three, and most importantly, the press mainly works in the interests of these clubs. It is possible that these clubs were primarily afraid of the emergence of another club under the support of the government, that is, the emergence of a fourth grand with "unlimited financial resources" in the future would certainly be against their interests. But the rest of the story turned out differently - whether it was precisely because of such negative relations or whether there was really no such plan from the beginning, "Istanbul Basaksehir" both at the beginning and later on lived in conditions much lower than the budgets of the giant clubs.
Transfers
For those who follow Turkish football, it might seem surprising that many football stars have played for the club in the last decade. However, it should be emphasized that very little money has been spent on transfers, and deals have mainly been made with free agents or players past their prime. For example, if Abbos Faizullaev's transfer is officially confirmed, the €7.5 million paid to CSKA will be a record for the club.
Emre Belözoğlu, Gaël Clichy, Martin Škrtel, Demba Ba, Rafael, Mesut Özil, and other footballers have been acquired for free, while players like Adnan Januzaj, Bertrand, Traoré, and Arda Turan played on loan. The club paid €1.1 million for Elia, €2 million for Piatek and Robinho. The club’s record so far is €4.8 million for 18-year-old Çağdaş Ünder, whom they later sold to Roma for €14.2 million. Even Eldor Shomurodov's one-year loan fee (€3 million) ranks third in the club's transfer expenses.
Championships, European Qualifications, and Club Politics
Although the club started with a big PR campaign, its policies differ from those of other leading clubs. The club's main focus is quite unconventional for Turkish football, primarily working with data and technology, minimizing human factors to achieve results. The club was the first in Turkey to introduce VAR, GPS, and Data Scouting technologies. With the AI Scout system, the club evaluates young players according to more than 1,000 technical criteria. This is a unique model in Turkey.
"Istanbul Başakşehir" fought for the championship in the first two seasons and eventually became the Turkish champion in the 2019/20 season. Aside from the big three (Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş), only three clubs in the history of Turkey have won the championship: Trabzonspor, Bursaspor, and Istanbul Başakşehir. Ten years after Bursaspor’s victory in 2010, this success came to Istanbul.
The following year, the club showed a strong performance on the international stage as well. "Istanbul Başakşehir" was placed in a tough group in the UEFA Champions League with PSG, Manchester United, and Leipzig. It can be said that the Turks decided who would advance from the group. All three leaders finished with the same number of points, and the results of their games against the Turkish team were decisive in determining the standings. In the game in Istanbul, Manchester United lost 2-1, and they were forced to settle for third place.
Club’s Transfer Policy, Collaboration with City Football Group
This is also an important point for Uzbek footballers. Eldor, being a Roma player, will undoubtedly be under intense scrutiny due to his successful performances. Also, it is worth noting that he is 30 years old. For Abbos Faizullaev, however, this transfer has a slightly different meaning, as the young player may see "Istanbul Başakşehir" as a stepping stone to move up to more powerful European leagues. The question arises: how will the club handle this? How will they work with young players and later sell them for higher prices?
In the last few years, the club has not finished lower than fifth place, and naturally, it will continue to attract attention from top Turkish and European clubs. The club’s ability to buy players for lower prices gives them an advantage. For example, Çağdaş Ünder, who was bought for €4.8 million, was later sold to Roma for €14.2 million.
In addition, in February 2024, the club became a partner of the global holding City Football Group, which is managed by Sheikh Mansour and includes clubs like Manchester City, Girona, and Troyes. This will improve "Başakşehir's" connections with the international market and will be beneficial for Faizullaev and other players as well.
New Season
In the new season, both of our compatriots are likely to play as main squad players. The club has not renewed its transfer records for reserves.
The main striker for the club in the last two seasons was Krzysztof Piątek, and Shomurodov is expected to replace him. The Polish forward was sold to Qatari club Al Duhail for €10 million. In the last season, Piątek scored 31 goals and provided 4 assists. We hope Eldor will live up to expectations and at least replicate these results. The club also bought 34-year-old forward Nuno da Costa from Casa Pia for €800,000, who scored 13 goals and provided 2 assists last season.
Abbos Faizullaev, in turn, was acquired not to replace anyone, but with a clear plan to strengthen the midfield, with the expectation that he will later show his abilities in Europe. As mentioned above, the club has a very well-established department for working with analysis and data. Undoubtedly, Faizullaev’s performances in various Uzbek teams and his career in Russia have been thoroughly studied. Naturally, he is being evaluated by the Turks as a future star. The club, which has never spent €5 million on any player, will not hesitate to spend €7.5 million on him.
The Turkish league will start on August 8, and the first match of "Istanbul Başakşehir" will be away against "Karaagümrük." The first match against a big trio opponent, "Beşiktaş," is scheduled for September 14.
Today, "Istanbul Başakşehir" will begin their European campaign. The team will play away against "Cherno More Varna" in the Conference League qualifiers, with the match kicking off at 22:00 Tashkent time. The game will be broadcasted by "Zor TV." The return leg is scheduled for Sunday.
Wikipedia Information:
Club Name: Istanbul Başakşehir F.K.
Founded: 1990
Stadium: Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium. Capacity: 17,000
Club President: Göksel Gümüşdağ
Head Coach: Çağdaş Atan
Team Captain: Mahmud Tekdemir
UEFA Ranking: 57th place
Turkish Champion: 2019/20
Vice Champion: 2016/17, 2018/19
Turkish Cup Finalist: 2011, 2017, 2023
