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 the works club of the Istanbul city administration. For its first two decades, the club played largely under the radar in the lower Turkish divisions and battled through the 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 its unmistakable orange-and-navy look. As early as the 2014/15 season, the club established itself in the Süper Lig and from then on competed near the top of the table. Several runner-up finishes (2016/17, 2018/19) hinted at what was to come. The great triumph finally arrived in the 2019/20 season, when Basaksehir, under coach Okan Buruk, won the first championship in the club’s history and took the title out of the hands of Istanbul’s three major clubs for the first time in years. Internationally, the club attracted attention through participation in the UEFA Europa League and eventually the Champions League, where matches against Manchester United, RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain made headlines. There is not yet a true historic rivalry like those between the big three – 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 accident.

The club’s identity was shaped significantly by experienced players who often spent the final major chapter 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 move from arch-rival Fenerbahce was seen as a statement. Players such as Edin Visca, the Bosnian flying winger, also played a decisive role and shaped the club’s style with countless goals and assists over almost a decade. They were joined by high-profile international names such as Robinho, Demba Ba, Gaël Clichy, Eljero Elia, Martin Skrtel and Mehmet Topal, all of whom wore orange and navy and gave the club a European stature. Arda Turan also ended his glittering career at Basaksehir and brought star appeal. On the bench, figures such as Abdullah Avci and Okan Buruk left their mark on the club – Buruk ultimately led Basaksehir to the historic 2020 championship. The mix of experienced Turkish players, seasoned Europeans and targeted international additions became the model for success. Each of these names is now linked with specific shirt sets, which makes retro Istanbul Basaksehir shirt collections so varied and exciting – from Belözoglu shirts to Visca shirts from European nights.

The club’s shirts are defined above all by their unmistakable colour combination of bright orange and deep navy – an identity the club has consistently maintained since its 2014 refounding. In the early Belediyespor years, more classic designs in orange-black or orange-white still dominated, often with the city crest on the chest. With the 2014 renaming came high-quality supplier deals with Adidas and later Nike, giving the club modern cuts, V-necks and elegant stripes. Especially sought after by collectors are the shirts from the 2019/20 championship season – fully orange with navy accents and main sponsor Medipol – as well as the Champions League shirts from the 2020/21 season, in which Basaksehir faced Europe’s biggest clubs. The unusual away shirts in black or white with orange details are also popular. More recent special shirts featuring Rams sponsorship, along with special editions for important anniversaries, complete the picture. Anyone who owns a retro Istanbul Basaksehir shirt has a modern piece of Turkish football history in their wardrobe.