Istanbul is a city that celebrates triumphs well. The many public spaces throughout the city provide ideal locations for a buoyant congregation and the wide availability of flares adds colour to the noise. Flags adorn balconies and windows, with the winner of the Turkish Super Lig replacing the year-round adoration of Ataturk. But, along with most events of any importance in Istanbul, the Bosphorus plays a prominent role. Separating east from west, Asia from Europe, Fenerbahce from Besiktas and Galatasaray, the straight occupies an everyday part of local life, with many commuting on ferries from one side to the other every working day. Yet, like much of the city, the Bosphorus changes when there is triumph to celebrate.
Thursday marked the peak of Besiktas' title celebrations, and the Bosphorus was at the heart of it all. The straight was heaving with ferries that took Besiktas players, staff and fans from different parts of the city towards the newly-opened Vodafone Arena. Flares and flags accompanied every journey, with fans also gathering boisterously near Dolmabahce Palace, close to the club’s stadium. Then, the celebrations headed inside, for the official title party at the Vodafone Stadium. This was a title victory wrapped up in a homecoming, with Besiktas once again able to return to their own stadium after three years away. Those three years were spent, largely, out in the west of the city, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, cut off from the Besiktas district of Istanbul in a grey, lifeless bowl.
Now, Besiktas have returned home with a title to celebrate - a nice aligning of the stars in such an important year for the club. Attention must now turn to sustainability, to dominance and to a permanent overhaul of the Fenerbahce-Galatasaray duopoly. Besiktas currently have fourteen titles to their name, with Fenerbahce on nineteen and Galatasaray leading the trio on twenty. Much importance is invested in Turkey’s system of awarding stars for every five league triumphs, with Besiktas permitted to display two stars above their crest, one behind Fenerbahce and two behind Galatasaray. If they were to retain their title for the first time since their trio of wins in 1990, 1991 and 1992, Besiktas would earn that much-heralded third star, ending the star-gazing that began after their tenth overall triumph in 1992.
There may not be a more readily available opportunity for Besiktas to really assert their dominance. The return to the Besiktas district of the city provides the club and the fans with a focal point, while a brilliant new stadium and the promise of the Champions League group stage gives them an edge in terms of recruitment. Problems at their Istanbul rivals also augur well for Besiktas’ chances next season. Galatasaray are a club in perpetual crisis. Sanctioned by UEFA for failing to meet financial fair-play regulations, they have attempted squad-building on the cheap, bringing about the results that such dereliction in duty deserves. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, while not quite never the bride, are regularly the bridesmaid. They have finished second twenty-one times, more than any other club in Turkey, not aided this season by the failure of their marquee signings last summer. Both need substantial readjustment, while Besiktas appear a ready-made title-winning force.
They ended the campaign as the league's top scorers by a distance (75 goals), boasting the best conversion rate (14.7%) and shot accuracy (41%) in the league, with no doubt as to the main reason for their efficiency in front of goal. Indeed, for Besiktas, their continued status as Turkey’s best side may rest heavily on the future of Mario Gomez.
The German has been a sensation this season, endearing himself to Besiktas fans and regularly provoking outbursts of that song. The Gomez button has been hit 26 times in this Super Lig season, with a conversion rate of 23.6% and shot accuracy of 53.6% making him, probably, Besiktas’ most valuable player. If Besiktas are unable to turn Gomez’s loan from Fiorentina into a permanent deal, they risk a struggle to hit the heights of this season. There are few players available that offer guaranteed goals in the way that he does, and even fewer that are so loved by the fans. His permanent signing must be the number one priority in the boardroom as the club look to map out a Champions League campaign.
In Istanbul, the celebrations continue. Besiktas have won the league and they have returned home, with these two triumphs aligning in the same year. But now they must use their double glory as a catalyst for a generational shift away from Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, from Seyrantepe and Kadikoy, to Besiktas and the banks of the Bosphorus. The necessary conditions are in place, Besiktas just need to act upon them.
Can Besiktas go on to have a prolonged spell of dominance in the Super Lig? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
