Retro Istanbul Basaksehir Shirt – The Story of the Orange and Blue Risers

The club's roots go back to 1990, when it was founded under the name Istanbul Büyüksehir Belediyespor as a works club of the Istanbul city administration. In the first two decades, the club played largely under the radar in the lower Turkish divisions, battling through TFF 2. and 1. Lig with mixed success. The real turning point came in 2014, when the football department was separated from the city administration and restructured. Belediyespor became Istanbul Basaksehir, with a new stadium – the 17,000-capacity Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu – and the unmistakable orange and navy look. Already in the 2014/15 season, the club established itself in the Süper Lig and competed at the top of the table from then on. Several runner-up finishes (2016/17, 2018/19) hinted at what was to come. The big triumph finally followed in the 2019/20 season, when Basaksehir, under coach Okan Buruk, won the first championship in the club's history and for the first time in years wrested the title from the hands of the three big Istanbul clubs. Internationally, the club drew attention with its participation in the UEFA Europa League and finally the Champions League, where appearances against Manchester United, RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain made headlines. A real historical rivalry like that between the Big Three does not yet exist – instead, every match against Galatasaray, Fenerbahce or Besiktas is celebrated as a major event, in which the young club must repeatedly prove that its success is no coincidence.

The club's identity has been significantly shaped by experienced players who often spent the final major phase of their careers at Basaksehir. Emre Belözoglu, an icon of Turkish football, was captain, playmaker and the tactical brain of the team for years – his transfer from arch-rivals Fenerbahce was seen as a statement. Players like Edin Visca, the Bosnian winger, also played a decisive role and shaped the club's style with countless goals and assists over almost a decade. Added to this were big international names like Robinho, Demba Ba, Gaël Clichy, Eljero Elia, Martin Skrtel and Mehmet Topal, who all turned out in orange and navy and gave the club a European stature. Arda Turan also ended his glittering career at Basaksehir, bringing star power with him. On the bench, personalities like Abdullah Avci and Okan Buruk shaped the club – Buruk ultimately led the club to the historic championship title in 2020. The mix of experienced Turks, established Europeans and targeted international reinforcements became the formula for success. Each of these names is today associated with specific shirt sets, which makes retro Istanbul Basaksehir shirt collections so varied and exciting – from Belözoglu shirts to Visca shirts from the European nights.

The club's shirts stand out above all for their unmistakable colour combination of bright orange and deep navy blue – an identity the club has consistently maintained since its refounding in 2014. In the early Belediyespor years, more classical designs in orange-black or orange-white dominated, often with the city coat of arms on the chest. With the renaming in 2014 came high-quality kit deals with Adidas and later Nike, which gave the club modern cuts, V-necks and elegant stripes. Particularly coveted among collectors are the shirts from the 2019/20 championship season – fully orange with navy blue accents and main sponsor Medipol – as well as the Champions League shirts from the 2020/21 season, in which Basaksehir faced the biggest European clubs. The unusual away shirts in black or white with orange details are also popular. Newer special shirts with Rams sponsorship as well as special editions for important anniversaries round off the picture. Anyone who owns a retro Istanbul Basaksehir shirt has a modern piece of Turkish football history in the wardrobe.