Bursaspor Explained

Clubname:Bursaspor
Upright:0.8
Fullname:Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği[1]
Nickname:Yeşil Timsahlar (Green Crocodiles)
Ground:Centennial Atatürk Stadium
Capacity:43,361
Chairman:Sinan Bür
Manager:Ümit Şengül
Website:http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/
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Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği (pronounced as /tr/), commonly known as Bursaspor, is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, the club colours are green and white, with home kits usually featuring both colours in a striped pattern.

In the 2009–10 season, the club's men's football team won its first Süper Lig title after finishing with 75 points, one point ahead of the runners-up Fenerbahçe.[2] [3] Bursaspor became the second club outside Istanbul to win a Süper Lig title, joining Trabzonspor who won the first of its six titles in 1975–76.[4] The club has also won the Turkish Cup once and the Prime Minister's Cup twice, as well as the First League twice.[5] The club's first, and most successful foray into European competition came in the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup when it reached the quarter-finals. Bursaspor also took part in the 1986–87, losing in the first round, as well as the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where it lost in the quarter-finals.[6]

History

Foundation and early years

The club was founded on 1 June 1963 after Acar İdman Yurdu, Akınspor, İstiklal, Pınarspor and Çelikspor were merged to form a single club; Bursaspor. Green and white were chosen as the club colours, and the club entered the 2. Lig in 1963–64.[7] Their first match took place on 21 September 1963 against İzmir Demirspor in İzmir.[8] Bursaspor were promoted to the Süper Lig after winning the 1966–67 2. Lig. They won 19 of their 30 matches, finishing with 45 points, eight ahead of second placed Samsunspor. They were relegated to the 2. Lig in 1985–86 and were relegated again in 1986–87 season, but their relegations were revoked due to winning the Turkish Cup in 1986 and a Turkish Council of State verdict in 1987. Their most recent relegation came in 2004. They gained promotion back into the Süper Lig after winning the First League on 16 May 2006. Bursaspor won their first major cup in 1971, beating Fenerbahçe 1–0 after extra time in the now-defunct Prime Minister's Cup. Because Fenerbahçe had won the league and cup in 1973–74, Bursaspor, as 1974 Turkish Cup runners up, were given a place in the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup. Bursaspor reached the quarter-finals, beating Finn Harps and Dundee United, before falling to eventual champions Dynamo Kyiv. The club's first Turkish Cup win came in 1986 when they defeated Altay 2–0 in the finals. The club therefore qualified for the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup, losing to eventual champions Ajax in the first round.

The league title

Bursaspor began the 2009–10 season successfully and by the midpoint of the season, in December 2009, the club were sitting in the top spot of the Süper Lig table. The first half of the season saw a 1–0 home victory against Istanbul giants Galatasaray, and also a 2–3 win away at Beşiktaş. In late 2009, Bursaspor manager Sağlam was linked with the vacant Turkey managerial position after Fatih Terim's resignation, but Sağlam refused to comment on the speculations, with Guus Hiddink eventually taking up the position ahead of him.

The latter part of the season saw a 6–0 win over mid–table İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, the largest win in the league that season, and also a 2–3 away win against Fenerbahçe after winning from two goals down. Bursaspor again reached the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup and again they lost on aggregate to Fenerbahçe, this time crashing out 4–3 due to an injury time winner from Fener. In April 2010, Bursaspor were sitting on top of the table after being in the top three for the previous few months. With eight games left to play, Bursaspor were five points clear at the top. However, five weeks before the end of the season, Bursaspor fell to second place, but they managed to maintain pressure on leaders Fenerbahçe, who had overtaken them. Going into the final matchday of the season, Bursaspor were just one point behind and needed their championship rivals to draw or lose, which eventually happened, as Fenerbahçe were held to a 1–1 home draw by Trabzonspor. Meanwhile, Bursaspor defeated Beşiktaş 2–1, which meant they would be crowned champions, winning the league by a single point. This made them only the second club in Turkish top tier history outside the "Istanbul Big Three" to win the Süper Lig, the other being Trabzonspor (İstanbul Başakşehir later joined them as the third team outside of the traditional "Big Three" to win the Turkish top tier). Before winning their first title in 2009–10, Bursaspor had never finished inside the top three. The club won its first and only league title to date in Ertuğrul Sağlam's first full season as manager. Pablo Batalla and Ozan İpek were the club's joint top scorers with eight goals each.[9]

Bursaspor were subsequently drawn against Rangers, Valencia and Manchester United in the group stages of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.[10] In its away match against Rangers, Bursaspor decided not to don their home kit to avoid provoking Rangers' fans, as their kit heavily resembles that of Rangers' rivals, Celtic.[11] Bursaspor is the fourth football club in Turkey to start a dedicated television channel (Bursaspor TV).

Subsequent years, financial trouble and relegations

After several successful seasons including qualifying for the UEFA Europa League on several occasions, the late 2010s saw Bursaspor struggle financially, as they faced a heavy amount of debt.[12] Bursaspor were relegated to the TFF First League in 2019, on the final day of the 2018–2019 season.[13] After three seasons in the First League, they were relegated to the TFF Second League in the 2021–22 season.[14] Their inability to pay their debt saw them incur a ban on signing new players.[15] On April 7, 2024, the club had been mathematically relegated to TFF Third League for their first time in their history, after their defeat by 1461 Trabzon FK with 1–2 at home.

Colours and badge

Bursaspor's club badge includes the club name, foundation year, and the crescent moon and star from the Turkish flag. As a tribute to the club's origins, the badge also includes five stars, each a different colour – black, red, yellow, green, and navy blue. This represents the colours used by the clubs that made up Bursaspor; Acar İdman Yurdu–black, Akınspor–red, İstiklal–yellow, Pınarspor–green, Çelikspor–navy blue. Bursaspor's kit: Green shirts with white trim, green shorts, green socks. Away: Green and white hooped shirts, white shorts, green and white hooped socks. Alternate: Amber shirts with black trim, claret shorts, amber socks.

Stadium

See main article: Centennial Atatürk Stadium. Bursaspor plays its home matches at Centennial Atatürk Stadium. Built in 2015, the stadium currently seats 43,361 spectators. The field measures 68 by 105 meters, and is covered with natural grass.[16] Between 1979 and 2015, the club played at the Bursa Atatürk Stadium.

Supporters

Fans

The club's main fan base is known as Teksas (Texas) and Legend Teksas.

Special relationship with Ankaragücü

In the early 1990s Bursaspor's ultra group Teksas had a leader called Abdulkerim Bayraktar. He went to study in Ankara, and whilst in the city he started attending Ankaragücü games and started building ties between the two clubs. In 1993 however, his life was cut short during his military service when he was killed by terrorists. This tragic event bought Bursaspor and Ankaragücü even closer together. During the first game after his death, Bursaspor organised a tribute to him, and the events which happened next cemented the brotherhood between these two teams. A large group of Ankaragücü supporters made their way onto the pitch and unveiled a large banner reading 'Our brother Abdul will never die, he lives on in our hearts'. The two supporter groups united and hundreds of Ankaragücü ultras attended his funeral. From that day on, Bursaspor supporters would chant Ankaragücü's name in the 6th minute of every home game, 06 being significant due to 06 being Ankara's city code. Ankaragücü supporters in return chant Bursaspor's name during the 16th minute, 16 being Bursa's city code. When the two sides play, the supporters sit together; it is one of the rare occasions in which ultras from opposing teams watch a game together in a mixed environment. They bring BursAnkara scarfs (a merger of the two cities' names) to the games and create an atmosphere full of mutual respect.[17]

European history

CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGD
UEFA Champions League6015216−14
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup8224512−7
UEFA Europa League124442017+3
UEFA Intertoto Cup6420145+9
Total32109134150–9

Matches

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1974–75European Cup Winners' Cup1R Finn Harps4–20–04–2
2R Dundee United1–00–01–0
QF Dynamo Kiev0–10–20–3
1986–87European Cup Winners' Cup1R Ajax0–20–50–7
1995UEFA Intertoto CupGroup 10 Košice1–11st
Charleroi2–0
Wimbledon4–0
Beitar Jerusalem2–0style="text-align:center;"
R16 OFI Crete2–12–1
QF Karlsruher SC3–33–31
2010–11UEFA Champions LeagueGroup C Manchester United0–30–14th
Valencia0–41–6
Rangers1–10–1
2011–12UEFA Europa League3Q Gomel2–13–15–2
PO Anderlecht1–22–23–4
2012–13UEFA Europa League3Q KuPS6–00–16–1
PO Twente3–11–44–5
2013–14UEFA Europa League3Q Vojvodina0–32–22–5
2014–15UEFA Europa League2Q Chikhura Sachkhere0–00–00–02
Notes1 Karlsruhe progressed to the Semi-finals after winning a penalty shoot-out 6–5.
2 Chikhura progressed to the third qualifying round after winning a penalty shoot-out 4–1.

UEFA ranking history

Season Rank Points Ref.
1975144 1.166[18]
1976146 1.166[19]
1977150 1.166[20]
1978154 1.166[21]
1979149 1.166[22]
2011135 12.010[23]
2012124 13.310[24]
2013120 14.900[25]
2014122 15.840[26]
2015119 16.020[27]
2016152 11.420[28]
2017151 10.840[29]
2018154 7.160[30]
2019159 6.920[31]

Players

Current squad

[32] [33]

List of former players

Honours

Domestic league

Domestic cup

League participation

Technical staff

Position Name
Manager Tamer Tuna
Assistant Manager Şakir Özkayımoğlu
Assistant Manager İbrahim Dağaşan
Head analyst Halil Taner Tarımer
Goalkeeping Coach Suat Arıcan
Fitness Coach Can Güçer

Managers

NameNat.FTPWDLNotes
align=lefyMuhtar Tucaltan19631966
Sabri Kiraz19661967
Muhtar Tucaltan19671968
19681969
19691970
19701973
19731973
19741974
19741974
19741975
19751976
19761978
19781978
19781979
19791979
19791979
19791980
19801981
19811982
19821984
19841984
19841985
19851985
19851985
19851986
19861986
19861986
19861987
19871987
19881988
19881988
19881989
19891990
19901991
19911991
19911993
19931993
19931994
19941996
19961996
19961997
19971998
19981998
19981998
19981999
19991999
19991999
19992000
20002000
20002002
20022003
20032003
20032004
20042004
20042005
20052005
20052006[34]
20062007
20072007
20072008
20082008
20092013
20132013
20132014

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tüzük. Bursaspor.org.tr. Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği. 26 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160313153625/http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/bs/s/18/tuzuk. 13 March 2016. dead.
  2. Web site: Bursaspor Pip Fenerbahce To Turkcell Super Lig Title – Goal.com. 16 May 2010.
  3. http://www.aksam.com.tr/2010/05/17/haber/spor/6763/yesil_devrim.html Yeşil devrim
  4. Bursaspor was also the first club outside Istanbul to win the Süper Lig in 26 years as Trabzonspor's last league title came in 1984.Şampiyon Bursaspor!
  5. http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/kupalar.asp FİNALLER ve KUPALAR
  6. http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/avrupa.asp AVRUPADA KUPALARI
  7. http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/kurulus.asp Kuruluş
  8. http://www.bursaspor.org.tr/kunye.asp Künye
  9. Web site: 2009–2010 Sezonu TFF.
  10. Web site: Bursaspor'un Şampiyonlar Ligi'ndeki rakipleri belli oldu – Kupalar TFF.
  11. Web site: We won't wear hoops to avoid winding up Rangers supporters, insist Bursaspor stars. Anthony. Haggerty. 28 September 2010.
  12. Web site: 2018-12-26 . Bursaspor are 413 million TL in debt . 2023-12-22 . Turkish Football News . en-US.
  13. Web site: 2019-05-26 . Bursaspor relegated on last day of the season . 2023-12-22 . Turkish Football News . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2022-05-15 . Bursaspor relegated to the 2nd League 12 years after the championship . 2023-12-22 . West Observer . en-US.
  15. Web site: Turkish club Bursaspor facing shutdown amidst financial crisis and player recruitment ban - News - Nogomania . 2023-12-22 . www.nogomania.com.
  16. http://www.tff.org/default.aspx?pageID=438&kulupID=3601 BURSASPOR
  17. http://www.turkish-football.com/team_profile.php?teamID=54 Bursaspor in English
  18. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 1975 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  19. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 1976 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  20. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 1977 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  21. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 1978 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  22. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 1979 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  23. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2011 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  24. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2012 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  25. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2013 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  26. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2014 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  27. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2015 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  28. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2016 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  29. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2017 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  30. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2018 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  31. Web site: Bert Kassies . UEFA Team Ranking 2019 . Xs4all.nl . 2022-09-09.
  32. Web site: Bursaspor Futbol Takımı . Bursaspor . 29 August 2020 . tr.
  33. Web site: Bursaspor Squad . 11 September 2022.
  34. Web site: TFF Lig A 2005–06 sezonu . 2011-02-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141029212703/http://www.tff.org/default.aspx?pageID=565 . 29 October 2014 . dead .