Süper Lig

Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (Super League), officially known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons (formerly Turkcell Süper Lig and Spor Toto Süper Lig), is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the Turkish Football Federation. In the 2023-24 season, twenty clubs compete, where a champion is decided and three clubs are promoted from, and relegated to the 1. Lig. The season runs from August to May, with each club playing 38 matches. Matches are played Friday through Monday.
The league succeeded the Turkish Football Championship and the National Division, both being former top-level national competitions. The Süper Lig is currently 12th in the UEFA coefficient ranking of leagues based on club performances in European competitions over the last five years. A total of 75 clubs have competed in the Süper Lig, but only six have won the title to date: Galatasaray (23), Fenerbahçe (19), Beşiktaş (16), Trabzonspor (7), İstanbul Başakşehir (1) and Bursaspor (1).
History
Football in Turkey stems back to the late 19th century, when Englishmen brought the game with them while living in Salonica (then part of the Ottoman Empire). The first league competition was the Istanbul Football League, which took place in the 1904–05 season. The league went through several variations until the creation of the Millî Lig (Süper Lig) in 1959. Between the creation of the Istanbul League and Millî Lig, several other regional leagues took place: Adana (1924), Ankara (1922), Eskişehir (1924), İzmir (1924), Bursa (1924), and Trabzon (1922), to name a few. The first competition to bring forth a national champion was the former Turkish Football Championship, which began in 1924 and continued until 1951. The championship format was based on a knockout competition, contested between the winners of each of the country's top regional leagues. The National Division (Turkish: Millî Küme) was the first national league competition in Turkey. Started in 1937, the National Division consisted of the strongest clubs from the Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir leagues. The championship lasted until 1950.
The Federation Cup was established in 1956 to decide a national champion. This champion would go on to participate in the European Cup. The competition was held for two seasons until it was replaced by the Millî Lig. Beşiktaş won both editions and qualified for the European Cup during the two-year span. However, since the TFF failed to register their name for the draw in time, Beşiktaş could not participate in the 1957–58 season after all.
The top clubs of Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir competed in the 1959 Turkish National League. The first season took place in the calendar year of 1959, instead of 1958-59, since the qualifying stages took place in 1958. The 16 clubs who competed in the first season were: Adalet (Istanbul), Altay (İzmir), Ankaragücü (Ankara), Ankara Demirspor (Ankara), Beşiktaş (Istanbul), Beykoz (Istanbul), Karagümrük (Istanbul), Fenerbahçe (Istanbul), Galatasaray (Istanbul), Gençlerbirliği (Ankara), Göztepe (İzmir), Hacettepe Gençlik (Ankara), İstanbulspor, İzmirspor, Karşıyaka (İzmir), and Vefa (Istanbul). The first champions were Fenerbahçe and the first "Gol Kralı" (top scorer) was Metin Oktay. No clubs were promoted or relegated at the end of the first season.
The 2. Lig (Second League) was created at the start of the 1963–64 season and the Millî Lig became known as the 1.Lig (First League). Before the foundation of a second division, the bottom three clubs competed with regional league winners in a competition called the Baraj Games. The top three teams of the group were promoted to the Süper Lig. After the foundation of a new second division in 2001, known as the 1. Lig, the formerly titled 1. Lig was rebranded as Süper Lig. The Süper Lig is home of the Fenerbahçe–Galatasaray derby, the most watched football game in Turkey. It is considered to be one of the best and most intense in the world, being ranked among the greatest football rivalries of all-time by various international sources.
Format
There were 18 clubs in the Süper Lig until 2020. 20 Clubs are competing in the Süper Lig starting from 2020. During the course of the season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then head-to-head record, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the head-to-head record and then goal difference determine the winner. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to the 1. Lig and the top two teams from the 1. Lig, together with the winner of play-offs involving the third to seventh placed 1. Lig clubs are promoted in their place.
16 clubs: 1959
20 clubs: 1959–1962
22 clubs: 1962–1963
18 clubs: 1963–1964
16 clubs: 1964–1966
17 clubs: 1966–1968
16 clubs: 1968–1981
17 clubs: 1981–1982
18 clubs: 1982–1985
19 clubs: 1985–1987
20 clubs: 1987–1988
19 clubs: 1988–1989
18 clubs: 1989–1990
16 clubs: 1990–1994
18 clubs: 1994–2020
21 clubs: 2020–2021
20 clubs: 2021–2022
19 clubs: 2022–2023
20 clubs: 2023–present
Qualification for European competitions
The champions qualify for the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The runners-up, third place and the Turkish Cup winners qualify for the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. If the Turkish Cup winner has already qualified for European competition through their league finish, then the team that finishes fourth in the league takes their place.
UEFA ranking
Süper Lig ranks 12th in UEFA Country Rankings 2023. The league made a big breakthrough in the early 90s and became one of the most valuable leagues in Europe. Süper Lig rose to 7th place in 2001 by achieving the best ranking in its history. In 1982, the league dropped to 28th place, achieving the worst ranking in its history.
Clubs
Stadiums and locations
Champions
Only six clubs have been champions since the introduction of the Super League: Galatasaray 23 times, Fenerbahçe 19 times, Beşiktaş 16 times (see note below), Trabzonspor 7 times, and Bursaspor and İstanbul Başakşehir once each.
Teams in bold compete in the Süper Lig as of the 2023–24 season.
1 Beşiktaş formally requested that championships won in the 1956–57 and 1957–58 editions of the Turkish Federation Cup be counted as Turkish Professional First Division championships to the Turkish Football Federation. The Cup was established in 1956 to find a national champion to represent Turkey, after UEFA decided that only national champions could participate in the European Cup. Beşiktaş had therefore earned the right to represent Turkey in the European Cup in the 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons. The ruling on this matter was announced in a press release on March 25, 2002 which indicated that the championships won by Beşiktaş in the Federation Cup would be counted as national league championships.
Star rating system
The honor of Golden Stars was introduced in football to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys.
In Turkey, clubs are permitted to place a golden star above their crest for every five national championships won. As of the 2023-24 season Galatasaray are permitted four golden stars, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş are permitted three golden stars, and Trabzonspor are permitted one golden star to be placed above their crest on their jerseys.
League participation
As of 2024, 75 clubs have participated.
Note: The tallies below include up to the 2023–24 season. Teams denoted in bold are current participants.
66 seasons: Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe
54 seasons: MKE Ankaragücü
50 seasons: Bursaspor, Trabzonspor
48 seasons: Gençlerbirliği
42 seasons: Altay
31 seasons: Gaziantepspor, Samsunspor
30 seasons: Eskişehirspor, Göztepe
28 seasons: Antalyaspor
25 seasons: İstanbulspor
23 seasons: Konyaspor
22 seasons: Adanaspor, Çaykur Rizespor
21 seasons: Denizlispor
20 seasons: Boluspor, Kocaelispor, Adana Demirspor, Kasımpaşa
19 seasons: Kayserispor
18 seasons: Sivasspor
16 seasons: Karşıyaka, İstanbul Başakşehir
15 seasons:Mersin İdmanyurdu
14 seasons: Vefa, Zonguldakspor
13 seasons: Ankara Demirspor, Kayseri Erciyesspor, Sarıyer
12 seasons: PTT
11 seasons: Diyarbakırspor, Malatyaspor, Orduspor, Sakaryaspor
10 seasons: Altınordu, İzmirspor, Kardemir Karabükspor, Şekerspor, Fatih Karagümrük
9 seasons: Ankaraspor, Feriköy
8 seasons: Beykozspor, Giresunspor, Hacettepe Gençlik, Alanyaspor
7 seasons: Akhisarspor
6 seasons: Manisaspor
5 seasons: Vanspor, Yeni Malatyaspor, Zeytinburnuspor , Gaziantep FK
4 seasons: Elazığspor, Hatayspor
3 seasons: Aydınspor, Bakırköyspor, Çanakkale Dardanelspor, Erzurumspor,
2 seasons: Yozgatspor, Adalet, Akçaabat Sebatspor, Balıkesirspor, Beyoğluspor, Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor, Hacettepe, Yeşildirek
1 season: Bucaspor, Kahramanmaraşspor, MKE Kırıkkalespor, Petrolofisi, Siirtspor, Ümraniyespor, Pendikspor
Player records
Most goals
As of 15 May 2021
Most appearances
As of 15 May 2021
Bold denotes players still active in the league.
All players are Turkish unless otherwise indicated.
Turkish football clubs in UEFA competitions
‡ Galatasaray was one of the final eight teams of the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League group stage, however UEFA does not consider this a quarter-final participation.
# Inter–Cities Fairs Cup
Sponsorship
Official match ball
2008–2010: Nike T90 Omni
2010–2011: Nike T90 Tracer
2011–2012: Nike Seitiro
2012–2013: Nike Maxim
2013–2014: Nike Incyte
2014–2015: Nike Ordem 2
2015–2016: Nike Ordem 3
2016–2017: Nike Ordem 4
2017–2018: Nike Ordem 5
2018–2020: Nike Merlin
2020–2021: Adidas Uniforia
2021–2022: Adidas Conext 21 Pro
2022–present: Puma Orbita
See also
Turkish Football Championship
Turkish National Division
List of foreign Süper Lig players
List of Süper Lig top scorers
List of Turkish football champions
Süper Lig all-time table
References and notes
External links
– Süper Lig
– Turkish Football Federation
Turk
1959 establishments in Turkey
Sports leagues established in 1959
1
Football
Professional sports leagues in Turkey