Kasımpaşa S.K.

Kasımpaşa
Full nameKasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetler A.Ş.
Nickname(s)Apaçiler (Apaches)
Founded15 January 1921 (1921-01-15) as Kasımpaşa Gençlik Kulübü[1]
GroundRecep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium
Capacity14,234
OwnerTurgay Ciner
PresidentMehmet Fatih Saraç
Head coachShota Arveladze
LeagueSüper Lig
2024–25Süper Lig, 10th of 19
Websitekasimpasa.com.tr

Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü. (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈkasɯmpaʃa], commercially registered as Kasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetler A.Ş. and commonly referred to simply as Kasımpaşa, is a Turkish professional football club based in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1921, the club has a long-standing presence in Turkish football and has competed in various divisions of the national league system, spending much of its modern history in the Süper Lig, the highest tier of Turkish football.

Kasımpaşa play their home matches at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium, located in the Kasımpaşa neighbourhood of Beyoğlu. The stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 14,000 spectators, is named after the current President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was born and raised in the area and played for the club at youth level.

As of the 2023–24 Süper Lig season, Kasımpaşa is one of eight clubs from Istanbul competing in the Turkish top flight, alongside Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Fatih Karagümrük S.K., Pendikspor, İstanbulspor and İstanbul Başakşehir. Known for its competitive performances despite a comparatively modest budget, the club has gained a reputation for developing and showcasing talented domestic and international players, many of whom have gone on to feature for larger clubs in Turkey and abroad.

In November 2021, Kasımpaşa officially marked its centenary with a series of events and commemorations celebrating its 100 years of existence, paying tribute to its historical roots, local community ties, and enduring presence in Turkish football culture.

History

Kasımpaşa was founded in 1921 as Kasımpaşa Gençlik Kulübü after the merger of Altıntuğ and Kasımpaşa Terbiye-i Bedeniye Kulübü the club’s first competitive matches came in the 1923–24 season. They competed in the İstanbul First League in 1939–45 and 1946–59,[2] then joined the national Türkiye Ligi in 1959 and stayed five seasons, recording a best finish of 5th in 1961–62.[3]

After decades outside the top flight, Kasımpaşa earned successive promotions from the TFF 3. Lig to the Süper Lig across 2004–05 to 2006–07.[4][5][6] Promotion was clinched on 30 May 2007 by defeating Altay on penalties (4–3) after a draw in the play-off final. The club were relegated after the 2007–08 season,[7] but returned on 17 May 2009 by beating Karşıyaka 2–1 (a.e.t.) in Ankara to win the First League play-off final.

In the 2009–10 campaign Kasımpaşa finished 11th and recorded notable results: a 3–1 away league win at Fenerbahçe, a 3–1 away win at Beşiktaş in the Turkish Cup group phase, and a 3–1 home win over Trabzonspor.[8]

Kasımpaşa were relegated from the Süper Lig at the end of the 2010–11 season under coach Yılmaz Vural.[9] On 12 October 2011, businessman Turgay Ciner’s group acquired a controlling stake in the club, marking a new ownership period focused on squad rebuilding and facilities investment.[10][11] The club won promotion immediately in 2011–12 through the play-offs: a 2–0 away and 4–0 home semi-final over Konyaspor preceded a 3–2 victory against Adanaspor in the Istanbul final on 27 May 2012.[12][13][14]

Back in the top flight, Kasımpaşa posted consecutive 6th-place finishes in 2012–13 and 2013–14, narrowly missing European qualification.[15][16] The squad was strengthened with high-profile arrivals, notably Sweden captain Andreas Isaksson (from PSV) in 2012,[17] Ryan Babel in 2013,[18] and later Egypt international Trézéguet, who was eventually sold to Aston Villa in 2019.[19] The club began 2018–19 at the top end of the table on the back of a prolific first half by Mbaye Diagne (20 league goals by January); Diagne then transferred to Galatasaray for a reported €10 million — a club-record fee received — and Kasımpaşa slipped to 14th by season’s end.[20][21]

In 2021–22 the team mounted a dramatic mid-season recovery, rising from the relegation places to finish 11th; on-loan forward Umut Bozok won the league golden boot with 20 goals.[22][23] They finished 10th in 2022–23 despite multiple coaching changes,[24] and climbed to 5th in 2023–24 — equalling the best league placing in club history in the modern era.[25]

Alongside transfer-market recruitment, Kasımpaşa’s academy has supplied the first team and the market; recent graduates include left-back Eren Elmalı (sold to Trabzonspor in 2022) and teenage defender Yasin Özcan.[26][27] The club plays at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium in Kasımpaşa, with an all-seater capacity of 14,234 following renovations, as listed by the Turkish Football Federation.[28]

The club had cycled rapidly through coaches during the 2024–25 season: they parted company with Sami Uğurlu on 7 November 2024,[29] appointed Hakan Keleş on 14 November 2024, then ended his spell on 28 January 2025,[30] before hiring Burak Yılmaz on 30 January 2025;[31] Yılmaz announced his departure in late June 2025.[32] The churn fit a longer pattern: under Ciner Group ownership (since 2011) Kasımpaşa went through 23 head-coach changes in 13 years, according to Turkish press tallies.[33]

In June 2025 Kasımpaşa re-appointed former coach Shota Arveladze to lead the senior team.[34]

Grounds

Main article: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium
An image from the home match against Balıkesirspor in the 2014–15 season.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium

Located in the Kasımpaşa neighbourhood of Istanbul, the ground was rebuilt in 2004–05 and opened in 2005 on the site of a local athletics venue; later works in 2010 removed the running track and completed the bowl with new stands.[35][36] It is also referred to as Kasımpaşa Stadium and is the home ground of Kasımpaşa; the all-seated capacity is listed by the Turkish Football Federation as 13,797.[37] The stadium is named after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a native of Kasımpaşa and former amateur footballer, who grew up in the district.[38][39]

Kasımpaşa Kemerburgaz Tesisleri

Kasımpaşa’s training base and social facilities are located in Kemerburgaz. Branded as the Turgay Ciner Sports Facilities, the complex houses training pitches, medical and recovery areas, and club operations; the club lists the site as its primary practice hub.[40] The Ciner Group also lists the Kemerburgaz address among Kasımpaşa’s facilities, together with the stadium site in Kasımpaşa.[41]

Colours and crest

Kasımpaşa’s traditional colours are navy blue and white.[42] First-choice kits are typically dark blue with white trim, while alternative strips often introduce light blue tones; the club’s official materials and matchwear use this palette consistently.[43]

The current crest is a circular badge bearing the inscription “Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü” and the founding year 1921 around a central device that features a white crescent-and-star on red and a stylised anchor motif; the design appears in the club’s navy/white colours across official channels and team apparel.[44][45]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2009–10 Lotto Turkcell
2010–11 Lescon Kasımpaşa 90. Yıl
2011–12 Kasımpaşa 91. Yıl
2012–13 Lotto UCZ
2013–14 adidas
2014–15 –
2015–16 Nike
2016–17 Halley
2017–18 Ciner
2018–19
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22 Puma
2022–23
2023–24
2024– adidas

Supporters

Kasımpaşa’s support is strongly neighbourhood-based: home followings are drawn primarily from the Kasımpaşa quarter of Beyoğlu and nearby Golden Horn districts, with a compact all-seater home ground that amplifies noise on matchdays.[46][47] In recent top-flight seasons, the club has recorded mid-thousands average gates at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium, consistent with the venue’s 13,797 all-seated capacity listed by the Turkish Football Federation.[48]

The club and its fans are commonly referred to as “Paşa”, reflecting the district identity and the navy-blue/white colours worn in the stands.[49] The fanbase gained wider visibility in the 2000s and 2010s as the stadium—named for Kasımpaşa-born president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—became a recurring reference point in coverage of football and politics in Istanbul.[50][51]

Ticketing for home sections is operated through the national Passolig system, with season-ticket (kombine) sales and match-day information handled by the club’s ticketing channels.[52][53]

Rivalries

Main article: List of association football rivalries

As a centrally located İstanbul club, Kasımpaşa’s league fixtures against the city’s heavyweights — Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe — are treated in the Turkish press as İstanbul derbileri (Istanbul derbies).[54] Kasımpaşa also contest periodic city derbies with İstanbul Başakşehir and Fatih Karagümrük.

The latter rivalry dates back to the clubs’ early years; because the grounds are a short trip apart and both teams are neighbourhood sides, these meetings have traditionally drawn strong local interest and some of the highest gates for either club. Matches between the two are commonly known as the Haliç Derby (see Fatih Karagümrük–Kasımpaşa derby).[55][56][57]

Honours

Statistics

Results of League and Cup Competitions by Season

Season League table Turkish Cup Top scorer
League Pos P W D L GF GA GD Pts Player Goals
No data prior to 2006.
2006–07 1. Lig 5th↑ 14 14 10 10 53 41 +12 52 R2 Erhan Küçük 17
2007–08 Süper Lig 18th↓ 34 8 5 21 26 56 −30 29 R2 Jonathan Téhoué 6
2008–09 1. Lig 4th↑ 34 15 10 9 45 27 +18 55 R1 Erhan Küçük 14
2009–10 Süper Lig 11th 34 10 11 13 50 53 −3 41 PO André Moritz 9
2010–11 18th↓ 34 5 8 21 31 71 −40 23 QF Ersen Martin 8
2011–12 1. Lig 4th↑ 34 16 11 7 50 39 +11 59 R4 Nikolai Dimitrov 14
2012–13 Süper Lig 6th 34 14 8 12 48 37 +11 50 R5 Kalu Uche 19
2013–14 6th 34 13 12 9 56 39 +17 51 R2 Ezequiel Scarione 16
2014–15 13th 34 9 10 15 56 73 −17 37 R3 13
2015–16 7th 34 14 8 12 50 40 +10 50 R3 Eren Derdiyok 13
2016–17 10th 34 12 7 15 46 49 −3 43 SF Adem Büyük 9
2017–18 8th 34 13 7 14 57 58 −1 46 R5 Trézéguet 13
2018–19 14th 34 11 6 17 53 62 −9 39 QF Mbaye Diagne 20
2019–20 10th 34 12 7 15 53 58 −5 43 L16 Fodé Koita 12
2020–21 14th 40 12 10 18 47 57 −10 46 L16 Isaac Kiese Thelin 9
2021–22 11th 38 15 8 15 67 57 +10 53 L16 Umut Bozok 20
2022–23 10th 36 12 7 17 45 61 −16 43 R5 Mamadou Fall 8
2023–24 5th 38 16 8 14 62 65 −3 56 R5 Nuno da Costa 14
2024–25 10th 36 11 14 11 62 63 −1 47 GS 13
2025–26 TBD

League affiliation

  • Süper Lig: 1959–64, 2007–08, 2009–11, 2012–
  • 1. Lig 1964–68, 1989–92, 1997–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2011–12
  • 2. Lig: 1968–79, 1984–89, 1992–97, 2000–01, 2005–06
  • 3. Lig: 2001–05
  • Amateur Level: 1979–1984

Players

Current squad

As of 10 August 2025[58]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Greece GRE Andreas Gianniotis
2 DF Brazil BRA Cláudio Winck
5 MF Turkey TUR Atakan Müjde
6 MF Austria AUT Cem Üstündag
7 FW Senegal SEN Mamadou Fall
8 MF Portugal POR Cafú
9 FW Turkey TUR Yusuf Barası
10 FW Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Haris Hajradinović
11 MF Turkey TUR Ali Yavuz Kol
12 DF Tunisia TUN Mortadha Ben Ouanes
13 DF Turkey TUR Adnan Aktaş
14 DF Ecuador ECU Jhon Espinoza
16 MF Iceland ISL Andri Baldursson
17 FW Turkey TUR Kubilay Kanatsızkuş
20 DF Ghana GHA Nicholas Opoku
21 DF Netherlands NED Godfried Frimpong
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 MF Turkey TUR Oğuzhan Yılmaz
25 GK Turkey TUR Ali Emre Yanar
26 MF Kosovo KOS Loret Sadiku
29 MF Turkey TUR Taylan Utku Aydın
41 DF Hungary HUN Attila Szalai (on loan from Hoffenheim until 30 June 2026)
47 DF Turkey TUR Berkay Muratoğlu
61 GK Turkey TUR Ege Albayrak
72 FW Turkey TUR Yasin Eratilla
77 FW Senegal SEN Pape Habib Guèye
98 GK Turkey TUR Şant Kazancı
— FW Turkey TUR Erdem Çetinkaya
— GK Turkey TUR Ramazan Özkanlı
— FW Turkey TUR Alp Efe Kılınç
— FW Turkey TUR Sarp Yavrucu
— FW Turkey TUR Berk Can Yıldızlı
— DF Turkey TUR Yunus Emre Atakaya

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
No. Pos. Nation Player

Club officials

Main article: List of Kasımpaşa S.K. managers

Board members

Position Staff
Owner Turkey Turgay Ciner
Chairman Turkey Mehmet Fatih Saraç
Vice President Turkey Hasan Hilmi Öksüz

Source: [59]

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Georgia (country) Shota Arveladze
Assistant coach Netherlands Michael Lindeman
Coach Turkey Özgür Özçal
Performance coach Spain Juan Torrijo
Turkey Eren Kırıcı
Turkey Sefa Baş
Goalkeeper coach Turkey İbrahim Yılmaz
Turkey Erol Ayçiçek
Performance analyst Turkey Furkan Berk Yüksel
Turkey Arda Yılmaz Erdem
Club doctor Turkey Cem Ergenç

Source: [60]

Coaching history

Presidential history

Years Name
No verifiable presidents before the 1990s.
c. 1990s Turkey Erdoğan Aslan
1999–2004 Turkey Halil Bakırcı
2004–2012 Turkey Hasan Hilmi Öksüz
2012–2015 Turkey Zafer Yıldırım
2015–2022 Turkey Turgay Ciner
2022– Turkey Mehmet Fatih Saraç

Note: Reliable records for the club’s early years are scarce; the list begins with the earliest verifiable presidencies.

Ownership

is operated by Kasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetler A.Ş. (a Turkish joint-stock company, Anonim Şirket), as listed by the Turkish Football Federation.[61]

Control of the club has been held by businessman Turgay Ciner and the Ciner Group since October 2011, when a majority stake was acquired.[62][63] Ciner Group lists Kasımpaşa among its sports properties and provides the club’s facilities and contact information within the group portfolio.[64]

The club president (board chair) is Mehmet Fatih Saraç; appointments to the board are made under the articles of Kasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetler A.Ş., and are published by the club.[65]

See also

References

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