Antalyaspor

Antalyaspor

Full name	Antalyaspor Kulübü A.Ş.
Nickname(s)	Akrepler (Scorpions)
Founded	2 July 1966 (1966-07-02)
Ground	Antalya Stadium
Capacity	29,307
President	Sinan Böztepe
Head coach	Alex de Souza
League	Süper Lig
2023–24	Süper Lig, 10th of 20
Website	antalyaspor.com.tr
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Antalyaspor supporters

Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional multi-sport club based in Antalya, southern Turkey. The club's colours are red and white.

The football side play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the club won the First League twice in 1982 and 1986 and finished as runners-up for the Turkish Cup of 2000 and 2021.

History

Founded in 1966, Antalyaspor initially competed in the lower divisions of the Turkish football league system before their first promotion to the Süper Lig in the 1982–83 season. Their first stint in top-flight football lasted two years before relegation in the 1984–85 season. After brief promotions and relegations, they returned to the Süper Lig in the 1993–94 season, where they remained until the 2001–02 season. During this period, the club participated in the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice and the UEFA Cup once, notably defeating Werder Bremen 2–0 in the first leg before losing 6–0 in the second.

Antalyaspor returned to the Süper Lig after finishing second in the 2005–06 1.Lig. Despite relegation in the 2006–07 season, the club was promoted again the following season and achieved their best Süper Lig finish in the 2009–10 season, ending in ninth place. In the 2014–15 season, Antalyaspor finished fifth and won promotion through the playoffs, defeating Adana Demirspor in the semifinals and Samsunspor in the final.

The 2015–16 season saw the club make headlines with the signing of Samuel Eto’o, who scored 20 goals, leading Antalyaspor to a ninth-place finish. They achieved their biggest Süper Lig victory with a 7–0 win over Trabzonspor. The 2016–17 season marked their most successful campaign, finishing fifth under Rıza Çalımbay. Eto’o scored 18 goals, placing third in the league’s top scorer rankings. However, they were eliminated from the Turkish Cup in the third round.

In the 2020–21 season, which featured 21 teams, the red-and-white team appointed Ersun Yanal as head coach midway through the season and finished 16th in the league. Their greatest achievement that season was reaching the final of the Turkish Cup for the second time in the club’s history. However, they were defeated 2–0 by Beşiktaş in the final. On 5 January 2022 Antalyaspor also qualified for the 2021 Turkish Super Cup against Beşiktaş, which was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The match ended 1–1 after regular and extra time, but Antalyaspor lost 4–2 on penalties, failing to secure their first-ever Super Cup title.

Under player-coach Nuri Şahin in the 2021–22 season, Antalyaspor achieved their highest points total, 59 points, finishing seventh and setting a league record for an unbeaten streak of 16 matches. They were eliminated in the 2021–22 Turkish Cup quarterfinals by Trabzonspor. In the 2023–24 season, Sergen Yalçın replaced Şahin as head coach, guiding Antalyaspor to a 10th place finish with 49 points. They exited the 2023–24 Turkish Cup in the Round of 16, losing to Beşiktaş. The team also rebranded to Bitexen Antalyaspor after a sponsorship deal with Bitexen.

Colors and Emblem

Colors

The meaning of the club’s colors is explained in the Antalyaspor Club Statute as follows: “The white color represents cleanliness and sincerity. Together with red, it embodies our national colors. It also signifies the love among the people of Antalya.” One of the founding teams of Antalyaspor, İlk Işıkspor, was composed of executives from upper-income levels. The İlk Işıkspor group, which also held significant influence in Antalyaspor’s management, insisted on using green and red colors before the meeting to determine the club’s colors.

The club’s first president, Atilla Konuk, was in favor of red and white colors. Atilla Konuk preferred red and white because they were also the colors of the Turkey national team and believed these colors would create sympathy for the team during away matches, as they matched the colors of the military. However, he needed to find a way to convince the board of directors of his idea.

Konuk noticed that red and white were the most commonly used colors among sports clubs in Antalya at the time. During the meeting, President Konuk argued that instead of adopting the colors of İlk Işıkspor, which appealed to a wealthy elite, the club should choose colors representing all of Antalya. He demonstrated that most clubs in Antalya used red and white, proposing these as the team’s colors. The board of directors supported this proposal, and Antalyaspor’s colors were officially decided as red and white.

Emblem

The club’s emblem consists of a red frame and lines on a white circular background. The letter A in the emblem represents the word “Antalya,” while the letter S stands for “sport.” In the center of the letters A and S is a red-lined depiction of the Yivli Minaret, one of the city’s symbols. The three white bands on the Yivli Minaret represent the three teams—İlk Işıkspor, Ferrokromspor, and Yenikapı Suspor—that formed Antalyaspor. Below the Yivli Minaret illustration is the year 1966, which marks the establishment of Antalyaspor.

The creator of Antalyaspor’s emblem is also its first president, Atilla Konuk, who decided the club’s colors. During the management board discussions about the emblem, suggestions included featuring symbolic structures of the city like Aspendos or Hadrian’s Gate. President Atilla Konuk intervened, stating that the emblem should include a structure left by the Turks, not from Ancient Greece.

The first idea that came to mind was the Yivli Minaret, a Seljuk-era structure located in the center of Antalya. Atilla Konuk’s design for an emblem featuring the Yivli Minaret in the center was accepted by the board of directors. Although the emblem has undergone several design changes over the years, its essential elements have remained the same.

Football Stadium

See also: Antalya Stadium

Antalya's first stadium was Antalya Atatürk Stadium which fell into disrepair from 2009 onwards. That forced the team to relocate to Akdeniz University Stadium which holds 7,083 spectators. In 2013 Antalyaspor began construction of Antalya Stadium. This stadium, which opened in the summer of 2015, seating 29,307 spectators, is nicknamed 100. Yıl (Centenary), after the major boulevard of the same name, 100. Yıl Bulvarı", which is located directly south of the stadium.

Honours

• 1. Lig
  • Winners: 1981–82, 1985–86
  • Runners-up: 2005–06, 2007–08
• Turkish Cup
  • Runners-up: 1999–2000, 2020–21
• Turkish Super Cup
  • Runners-up: 2021

League affiliation

• Süper Lig: 1982–85, 1986–87, 1994–02, 2006–07, 2008–14, 2015–
• TFF First League: 1966–82, 1985–86, 1987–94, 2002–06, 2007–08, 2014–15

Statistics

Domestic seasons

Main article: List of Antalyaspor seasons

Season	League	Pos.	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Cup
1966–67	TFF First League	11	30	10	6	14	28	35	26	Qualifying round
1967–68	TFF First League	4	30	14	6	10	40	28	34	–
1968–69	TFF First League	5	30	13	7	10	33	27	33	Qualifying round
1969–70	TFF First League	6	30	12	6	12	37	34	30	–
1970–71	TFF First League	9	30	10	8	12	25	30	28	–
1971–72	TFF First League	8	30	12	6	12	37	35	30	–
1972–73	TFF First League	9	30	11	8	11	32	36	30	–
1973–74	TFF First League	7	30	13	5	12	38	36	31	–
1974–75	TFF First League	10	30	10	7	13	29	34	27	–
1975–76	TFF First League	11	30	8	10	12	25	34	26	Qualifying round
1976–77	TFF First League	5	30	14	7	9	37	28	35	Qualifying round
1977–78	TFF First League	8	30	11	6	13	30	35	28	Qualifying round
1978–79	TFF First League	3	30	14	8	8	41	30	36	Qualifying round
1979–80	TFF First League	3	30	15	5	10	39	26	35	Qualifying round
1980–81	TFF First League	8	30	10	8	12	25	29	28	Qualifying round
1981–82	TFF First League	1	30	19	7	4	50	22	45	Qualifying round
1982–83	Süper Lig	14	34	8	12	14	31	46	28	Qualifying round
1983–84	Süper Lig	15	34	7	10	17	23	47	24	Qualifying round
1984–85	Süper Lig	17	34	5	12	17	25	54	22	Qualifying round
1985–86	TFF First League	1	30	20	6	4	51	17	46	Qualifying round
1986–87	Süper Lig	18	36	4	11	21	25	60	19	Qualifying round
1987–88	TFF First League	2	30	18	8	4	46	16	44	Qualifying round
1988–89	TFF First League	4	30	16	5	9	43	24	37	Qualifying round
1989–90	TFF First League	3	30	17	5	8	45	25	39	Qualifying round
1990–91	TFF First League	14	30	7	7	16	25	41	21	Qualifying round
1991–92	TFF First League	2	30	18	8	4	49	20	44	Qualifying round
1992–93	TFF First League	6	30	13	7	10	38	28	33	Qualifying round
1993–94	TFF First League	6	30	14	7	9	45	32	35	Qualifying round
1994–95	Süper Lig	13	34	10	10	14	36	49	40	Qualifying round
1995–96	Süper Lig	7	34	15	6	13	49	42	51	Qualifying round
1996–97	Süper Lig	10	34	12	6	16	38	47	42	Qualifying round
1997–98	Süper Lig	12	34	11	8	15	36	45	41	Qualifying round
1998–99	Süper Lig	6	34	14	10	10	47	38	52	Qualifying round
1999–00	Süper Lig	11	34	10	10	14	43	47	40	Runners-up
2000–01	Süper Lig	15	34	8	8	18	33	57	32	Qualifying round
2001–02	Süper Lig	17	34	7	8	19	32	54	29	Qualifying round
2002–03	TFF First League	11	34	12	8	14	38	40	44	Qualifying round
2003–04	TFF First League	7	34	13	11	10	42	32	50	Qualifying round
2004–05	TFF First League	14	34	9	9	16	33	48	36	Qualifying round
2005–06	TFF First League	2	34	19	9	6	55	30	66	Qualifying round
2006–07	Süper Lig	16	34	8	7	19	30	53	31	Qualifying round
2007–08	TFF First League	2	34	19	11	4	54	26	68	Qualifying round
2008–09	Süper Lig	12	34	11	8	15	39	47	41	Quarter-finals
2009–10	Süper Lig	9	34	13	9	12	40	38	48	Semi-finals
2010–11	Süper Lig	11	34	11	7	16	39	48	40	Group stage
2011–12	Süper Lig	15	34	10	9	15	38	44	39	Quarter-finals
2012–13	Süper Lig	7	34	14	8	12	47	44	50	Group stage
2013–14	Süper Lig	17	34	6	10	18	34	56	28	Semi-finals
2014–15	TFF First League	5	34	15	10	9	48	31	55	Second round
2015–16	Süper Lig	9	34	12	9	13	46	49	45	Round of 16
2016–17	Süper Lig	5	34	17	5	12	55	42	56	Third round
2017–18	Süper Lig	14	34	10	6	18	40	62	36	Round of 16
2018–19	Süper Lig	7	34	13	6	15	39	55	45	Round of 16
2019–20	Süper Lig	9	34	11	12	11	41	46	45	Semi-finals
2020–21	Süper Lig	16	40	9	14	17	41	56	41	Runners-up
2021–22	Süper Lig	7	38	16	11	11	54	47	59	Quarter-finals
2022–23	Süper Lig	13	36	11	8	17	46	56	41	Round of 16
2023–24	Süper Lig	10	36	13	10	13	49	47	49	Round of 16

European history

As of 28 September 2000

Competition	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
UEFA Cup	4	3	0	1	9	6	+3
UEFA Intertoto Cup	8	3	1	4	9	11	–2
Total	12	6	1	5	18	17	+1

European participations

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1996	UEFA Intertoto Cup	GS Group 7	Rotor Volgograd	2–1	—	3rd
			Basel	2–5	—
			Shakhtar Donetsk	—	0–1
			Ataka-Aura Minsk	—	3–0
1997	UEFA Intertoto Cup	GS Group 11	Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod	—	0–1	4th
			Publikum	—	1–1
			Proleter Zrenjanin	1–0	—
			Maccabi Haifa	0–2	—
2000–01	UEFA Cup	QR	Kapaz	5–0	2–0	7–0
		1R	Werder Bremen	2–0	0–6	2–6

UEFA Ranking history:

See also: UEFA coefficient

As of 2005

Season	Rank	Points	Ref.
2001	133	16.987
2002	143	16.362
2003	152	16.495
2004	155	12.656
2005	164	11.872

Players

Current squad

As of 7 September 2024

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
2	DF	BRA	Thalisson
3	DF	TUR	Bahadır Öztürk
4	DF	KOS	Amar Gërxhaliu
5	MF	TUR	Soner Dikmen
6	MF	MKD	Erdal Rakip
7	DF	TUR	Bünyamin Balcı
8	MF	ISR	Ramzi Safouri
9	FW	ARG	Adolfo Gaich (on loan from CSKA Moscow)
10	MF	SWE	Sam Larsson
11	DF	TUR	Güray Vural
12	MF	MLI	Moussa Djenepo (on loan from Standard Liège)
13	GK	BIH	Kenan Pirić
14	DF	TUR	Emrecan Uzunhan (on loan from Beşiktaş)
16	MF	UKR	Oleksandr Petrusenko
17	MF	TUR	Erdoğan Yeşilyurt

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
18	MF	POL	Jakub Kałuziński
20	MF	TUR	Emre Uzun
21	GK	TUR	Abdullah Yiğiter
22	MF	NED	Sander van de Streek
25	MF	ENG	Andros Townsend
27	DF	TUR	Mert Yılmaz
34	GK	TUR	Doğukan Özkan
44	DF	TUR	Efecan Gülerce
58	MF	BIH	Deni Milošević
72	DF	TUR	Harun Toprak
77	DF	TUR	Abdurrahim Dursun
81	FW	PAR	Braian Samudio
89	DF	TUR	Veysel Sarı (captain)
91	MF	TUR	Burak İngenç
99	GK	TUR	Kağan Arıcan

Other players under contract

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
—	MF	TUR	Mevlüt Han Ekelik

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
—	GK	TUR	Ataberk Dadakdeniz (at Erzurumspor until 30 June 2025)
—	MF	TUR	Erkan Eyibil (at Serik Belediyespor until 30 June 2025)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	TUR	Mehmet İlhan (at Kepezspor until 30 June 2025)

Coaching history

Main article: List of Antalyaspor managers

Tenure	Name
1981–1982	Kadir Giderler
1982–1983	Valeriu Neagu
1983	Orhan Gülmez
1983	Peter Stubbe
1983	Ali Rıza Şenol
1983–1984	Yılmaz Gökdel
1984	Ali Rıza Şenol
1984	Orhan Gülmez
1984–1985	Zeynel Soyuer
1985–1986	Adnan Dinçer
1986–1988	Yılmaz Gökdel
1988–1989	Yılmaz Vural
1992–1993	Adnan Dinçer
1993–1994	Erdem Tuğal
1994	Adnan Dinçer
1994–1995	Ahmet Akçan
1996–1997	Ümit Kayıhan
1997	Metin Ünal
1997–1998	Şenol Güneş
1998–1999	Jozef Jarabinský
1999–2000	Rüdiger Abramczik
2000–2001	Metin Ünal
2001	Cezmi Turhan
2001	Hüseyin Kalpar
2001	Mehmet Ali Öztürk
2001–2002	Giray Bulak
2002	Adnan Dinçer
2002–2003	Tarık Söyleyici
2003–2004	Coşkun Demirbakan
2004–2005	Metin Türel
2005	Adnan Gülek
2005–2007	Yılmaz Vural
2007	Ümit Turmuş
2007–2008	Raşit Çetiner
2008	Hikmet Karaman
2008	Jozef Jarabinský
2008–2013	Mehmet Özdilek
2013–2014	Samet Aybaba
2014	Fuat Çapa
2014	Engin Korukır
2014–2015	Hami Mandıralı
2015	Yusuf Şimşek
2015–2016	José Morais
2016–2017	Rıza Çalımbay
2017	Leonardo
2018	Hamza Hamzaoğlu
2018–2019	Bülent Korkmaz
2019	Stjepan Tomas
2020	Tamer Tuna
2020–2021	Ersun Yanal
2021–2023	Nuri Şahin
2024	Sergen Yalçın
2024–	Alex De Souza

Swimming

National swimmers are:

• Sevim Eylül Süpürgeci
• Emir Batur Ayyıldız (born 2007)

Water polo

• Turgut Kabaca (born 1972)

References

Further reading

• "Tarihçe" (in Turkish). antalyaspor.com.tr. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2017.

External links

• Official website (in Turkish)
• Antalyaspor on TFF.org