Kasımpaşa S.K.

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

Full name	Kasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetler A.Ş.
Nickname(s)	Apaçiler (Apaches)
Founded	15 January 1921; 104 years ago (1921-01-15) as Kasımpaşa Gençlik Kulübü[1]
Ground	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium
Capacity	14,234
Owner	Turgay Ciner
President	Mehmet Fatih Saraç
Head coach	Shota Arveladze
League	Süper Lig
2024–25	Süper Lig, 10th of 19
Website	kasimpasa.com.tr
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

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

• 2. Lig
  • Winners (1): 2005–06
• 3. Lig
  • Winners (3): 1988–89, 1996–97, 2004–05

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  GRE Andreas Gianniotis 2 DF  BRA Cláudio Winck 5 MF  TUR Atakan Müjde 6 MF  AUT Cem Üstündag 7 FW  SEN Mamadou Fall 8 MF  POR Cafú 9 FW  TUR Yusuf Barası 10 FW  BIH Haris Hajradinović 11 MF  TUR Ali Yavuz Kol 12 DF  TUN Mortadha Ben Ouanes 13 DF  TUR Adnan Aktaş 14 DF  ECU Jhon Espinoza 16 MF  ISL Andri Baldursson 17 FW  TUR Kubilay Kanatsızkuş 20 DF  GHA Nicholas Opoku 21 DF  NED Godfried Frimpong

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 MF  TUR Oğuzhan Yılmaz 25 GK  TUR Ali Emre Yanar 26 MF  KOS Loret Sadiku 29 MF  TUR Taylan Utku Aydın 41 DF  HUN Attila Szalai (on loan from TSG Hoffenheim until 30 June 2026) 47 DF  TUR Berkay Muratoğlu 61 GK  TUR Ege Albayrak 72 FW  TUR Yasin Eratilla 77 FW  SEN Pape Habib Guèye 98 GK  TUR Şant Kazancı — FW  TUR Erdem Çetinkaya — GK  TUR Ramazan Özkanlı — FW  TUR Alp Efe Kılınç — FW  TUR Sarp Yavrucu — FW  TUR Berk Can Yıldızlı — DF  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	Turgay Ciner
Chairman	Mehmet Fatih Saraç
Vice President	Hasan Hilmi Öksüz

Source: ^[59]

Coaching staff

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

Source: ^[60]

Coaching history

Season(s) Manager 1922–56 Unknown 1953–56 Eşref Bilgiç 1956–57 Mehmet Reşat Nayır 1957–59 Cihat Arman 1959–60 Recep Adanır (caretaker) 1960 Rebii Erkal 1961 Burhan Sümersan 1961–63 Renato Vignolini 1963–64 Esat Kaner 1964 Renato Vignolini 1964–72 Unknown 1972 Fehmi Sağınoğlu 1972–88 Unknown 1988–89 Cihat Erbil 1989 Ali Yavaş 1989–92 Unknown 1992–93 Nail Çetin Noyan 1993–94 Ömer Gülen 1994–95 Unknown 1995 Nevruz Şerif 1995–96 İsmail Demiriz 1996–98 Mehmet Şansal 1998–99 Ergun Ortakçı 1999 Mehmet Şansal 1999–00 Nevruz Şerif 2000 Ethem Adlığ 2000–02 Unknown 2002–03 İlhami Şarkan 2003–04 Hasan Vezir 2004–05 Unknown 2005 Akif Başaran 2005 Abdülkerim Durmaz 2005–06 Unknown 2006–07 Akif Başaran 2007 Kadir Özcan 2007 Serdar Dayat (caretaker)

Season(s) Manager 2007 Werner Lorant 2007 Cihat Arslan (caretaker) 2007–09 Uğur Tütüneker 2009 Durmuş 2009–2011 Yılmaz Vural 2011 Fuat Çapa 2011–12 Uğur Tütüneker 2012 Metin Diyadin 2012 Fuat Kılıç (caretaker) 2012–15 Shota Arveladze 2015 Jan Wouters (caretaker) 2015 Önder Özen 2015–16 Rıza Çalımbay 2016–18 Kemal Özdeş 2018–19 Mustafa Denizli 2019 Öztürk 2019 Kemal Özdeş 2019–20 Tayfur Havutçu 2020 Çoker (caretaker) 2020 Fuat Çapa 2020 Mehmet Altıparmak 2020 Fuat Buz 2020–21 Fuat Çapa 2021 Şenol Can 2021 Cihat Arslan 2021 Hakan Kutlu 2021–22 Sami Uğurlu 2022 Şenol Can 2022–23 Selçuk İnan 2023 Kemal Özdeş 2023–24 Sami Uğurlu 2024–25 Hakan Keleş 2025 Burak Yılmaz 2025– Shota Arveladze

Presidential history

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

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

Ownership

Kasımpaşa S.K. 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

• List of Turkish Sports Clubs by Foundation Dates