The History of Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul
Fenerbahçe was founded in 1907, but opened its doors to basketball seven years later. This was due to the Balkan Wars and World War I. When the sport became popular in Turkey, which was when it was founded in its current permanent form (1944), it had great success.
The Turkish National Championships arrived in 1957, 1959, and 1965 and Fenerbahçe gained great success by winning in these years.
The rest of the 1960s was successful but it got more competitive and difficult in the 1970s and 1980s. Traditional sports clubs like Fenerbahçe found it challenging to compete with these teams because they belonged to well-known enterprises with a strong financial foundation and backing.
In the seasons 1984-85, 1987-88, and 1989-90, Fenerbahçe finished first in the league, with star players such as Erman Kunter, Aytek Gürkan, Can Sonat, Ferhat Oktay, Pete Williams and Larry Richard (who were eliminated later in the post season).
In 1991, the team won the championship that their fans had been waiting for them to win. In 1992, they returned to the EuroLeague in 1992, but lost in the preliminary round, along with 1993 and 95 being unsuccessful. The club eventually gained third place in 98 and this got them back into the EuroLeague.
Fast forward to the early 2000s. The team did not have many wins in the early years, but summer 2006 was a great year regarding sponsorships! Fenerbahçe gained a deal with Ülker, and after this agreement, the team crushed the Turkish League and became two time champions, and after 16 long years, returned to the EuroLeague.
Throughout 2000 - 2013, the team had its ups and downs with successes and loses, but ultimately gained many new players, a new head coach, and became strong together and learned how each other played to form the best possible team they could.
2014-2015 season was amazing; Fenerbahçe reached the final four in the EuroLeague for the first time! They defeated Maccabi in the quarterfinals with three straight victories. The team ultimately came in fourth after in the semis. Ülker's sponsorship ceased after the ended. The team became the first Turkish team to ever make it to the EuroLeague final game, and lost in overtime.
Within 2016-17, the team won their first championship. Center player Ekpe Udoh gained the title of the MVP for the EuroLeague Final Four. Doğuş Group signed a three year contract with the team, for about 45 million euros.
By the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Doğuş withdrew the sponsorship, and a new agreement with Beko was put into place (which is why the team is called Fenerbahçe Beko now.) The team continued to be undefeated and gained a record after a regular season of basketball.
Fast forward to 2020 to present time today, Igor Kokoskov replaced Obradovic as head coach. The team went through many changes during the post season. They struggled in the league, and fell a bit behind some teams they used to dominant. Efes ended up beating Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super League finals, and the head coach left this past summer despite the contract signing...
Below, press the link to view some of their most iconic highlights during round 16!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyg63dGJtb0
How does Fenerbahçes history compare with some of the other Euroleague teams? Did they start around the same time?
Much like Fenerbahce, Bayern had its greatest years in the 50s and 60s. Bayern was founded around the same time as Fener and much of the winning/losing up and downs match with Bayern with in later 10s gaining stability inside of the EuroLeague and recent success in the past few years.
ReplyDeleteCool! This is interesting they are similar.
DeleteWhat I found really fascinating about Fenerbahce's history is that their basketball club was formed only seven years after the overarching club itself was founded. European basketball in the early 1900s is something I've never thought about, so it is impressive Fenerbahce was so ahead of their time. I think it is also amazing how they've from where they started to where they are now. Ex-NBA player Ekpe Udoh definitely helped the club become so successful during his time there, but more than that clearly Fenerbahce is a successful club and I think this is partially due to their history in Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI found it super interesting too it was formed 7 years after the overarching club itself. The ex NBA player did help the succss of the club and gained them a lot of recognition!
DeleteI think Fenerbache is a team that has a lot of perseverance and refuses to give up. They have truly had a many ups and downs but, you have to learn to fail to win. From what I can remember, most of the teams were founded around the 1940s-1960s which remains true with Fenerbache. They definitely all started around the same time but, because of this, do you think the founding of Fenerbache's basketball team had an influence on any other basketball teams within the Euroleague? Also how has Fenerbache benefitted Turkey as a country?
ReplyDeleteI agree! And to your question, yes, Fenerbache has also benefitted Turkey as a country by providing the opportunity for Turkish players to compete at the highest level of European basketball.
DeleteGreat post! You really touched on a lot of different era's for the team which was cool to see their growth and struggles over time. Their history is similar to some other's in that the World Wars, or any war, hindered their ability to thrive as an organization and further the game of basketball in their respective locations. Do you think Fenerbache has progressed consistently over time?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the post; I think Fenerbahçe has progressed over time, but there have been a few bumps in the road. The disruptions of the World Wars certainly had a negative impact on their ability to thrive, however, the club has been able to stay relevant and continue to find success in the league
DeleteWow 1907! That's honestly insane. Fenerbahçe has been around for so long. I didn't know any team in the Euroleague was that old. That's older than any NBA team! Fenerbahçe must have incredibly deep-rooted fans. How is it possible that when teams have such history they aren't at the economic and popularity levels of the NBA. It's kind of sad to see. If any team deserves this, it's Fenerbahçe. I thought EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was old being founded in 1936, but learning about Fenerbahçe has completely shifted my expectations. How does Fenerbahçe use their incredible history to their advantage?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question; Fenerbahçe has a lot of history, but unfortunately they haven't been able to take full advantage of it; they have a strong base of loyal fans, but they have been unable to reach the heights of the NBA in terms of brand recognition.
DeleteOne way they can use their history to their advantage is through marketing and merch in my opinion.
It is very cool to see the development of this team over the years. This team reminds me a lot of Bayern Munich by joining the league late and succeeding. Like Bayern Munich, they also connect their team and their history towards a world war, which is cool to see.
ReplyDeleteI agree - t's a great comparison to Bayern Munich. Its super cool learning about how far back these teams history goes.
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