Fatih Karagümrük S.K.
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Fatih Karagümrük Spor Kulübü, also called Karagümrük, is a Turkish professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in the
Karagümrük Karagümrük is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Fatih, Istanbul Province, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called E ...
neighbourhood of the
Fatih Fatih () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km2, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metro ...
district in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. They currently play in the
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
, the first tier of Turkish football.


History


Foundation

In the spring of 1926 (estimated to be May 18 or 19), the efforts of individuals such as Muhtar Bey, Acıçeşmeli Minareci İzzet, Aleattin Bey, Nazmi Bey, Bedri Bey, Karagümrüklü Abdullah Bey, Mustafa İzmirli, and Cemil Bey led to the establishment of a sports club named Karagümrük İdman Yurdu. This was achieved by merging the teams Acıçeşme Gençleri and Karagümrük Gençleri. Through the significant efforts of Karagümrük’s iconic figure, Muhtar Bey, the young members collected funds and secured a clubhouse on İşkembeci Malik Street. After completing official formalities, Karagümrük İdman Yurdu was officially founded. The club’s first president was selected as Arnavut Fevzi Efendi. The team’s colors were also decided during this period. While Acıçeşme Gençleri favored black and white, Karagümrük Gençleri admired the navy-blue and red colors of Union Club, whose match they had watched in Kadıköy. Under the persuasion of Arnavut Fevzi Efendi, Karagümrük decided to adopt its colors from the Karagümrük Firefighters (Tulumbacıları). At that time, each neighborhood’s firefighters, who were also representatives of sports, had distinctive colors. The Karagümrük firefighters wore red shirts and black shorts. Thus, the newly founded Karagümrük İdman Yurdu’s uniform was unanimously chosen to be red and black, symbolizing fire (red) and smoke (black) in tribute to the firefighters’ success.


Early Years

Karagümrük İdman Yurdu won the Republic Cup during the 1932–1933 season, defeating all opponents. The team also achieved success by winning the “ Halk Fırkası” Cup during this period. In 1932, Karagümrük hosted the Thessaloniki Representative Team in a match played at their own stadium, winning 3–2. This made them the first non-affiliated club to bring a foreign team to Turkey, following the country’s three major clubs. During this period, the club transferred Baba Hakkı (the all-time top scorer in Karagümrük’s history) to
Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
. Notable players of the time included Necdet Gezen, journalist Asaf Ayçıl, Mustafa Çakar (father of referee Ahmet Çakar), Colonel Rıza Erseven (second top scorer in Karagümrük’s history after Baba Hakkı), and
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
player Musa Sezer. Until the 1942 season, Karagümrük competed in amateur leagues. At the end of the 1941–42 season, they were promoted to the Istanbul First Professional League as champions. However, a surprising decision followed this achievement. Through the initiative of then-Minister of National Education
Hasan Âli Yücel Hasan Âli Yücel (17 December 1897 – 26 February 1961) was a Turkish education reformer and philosophy teacher who served as minister of national education of Turkey from December 1938 to August 1946. He is remembered for the foundation of V ...
, the
Karagümrük Neighborhood Stadium Karagümrük is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Fatih, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 10,649 (2022). The neighborhood gives its name to a professional football club Fatih Karagümrük S.K. Fatih Karagümrük S ...
was taken from Karagümrük and allocated to
Vefa SK Vefa SK is a football club in Vefa, neighborhood of the Fatih ( Eminönü between 1928 and 2008) district of Istanbul. The team currently competing at Bölgesel Amatör Lig 1st Grup which is 5th level of Turkish leagues. Vefa SK is the first a ...
. Without a field to play on, Karagümrük was forced to suspend its activities until 1946. On July 14, 1946, Karagümrük resumed its activities under the name Karagümrük Youth Club. Starting from the 5th Division in the 1946–47 season, they achieved consecutive championships and were promoted to the 2nd Division within three years.


1955–1980

In the 1955–56 season, Karagümrük led the establishment of the Second Professional League, making a significant contribution to Turkish football by promoting the league’s professionalization and the foundation of the football federation. During the 1957–58 season, Karagümrük became the champion of the Istanbul Professional Second League. The club also made one of the first major transfers in Turkish football history by signing
Kadri Aytaç Kadri Aytaç (6 August 1931 – 28 March 2003) was a Turkish former Association football, football player and then manager. He played for the Beyoğluspor, Fatih Karagümrük, Karagümrük, Galatasaray S.K. (football), Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe S ...
from
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
for 57,500 Turkish lira. In the 1958–59 season, Karagümrük remained undefeated and led the league until the last week of the first half, when they lost 3–2 to Galatasaray. During these years, Karagümrük garnered widespread admiration, and their club songs became popular among other clubs in Anatolia. Karagümrük even lent its name and colors to
Yimpaş Yozgatspor Yozgatspor was a Turkish sports club based in Yozgat, Turkey. The football club played in the TFF Third League. They played in the Süper Lig between 2000 and 2002 and relegated to the Third League in the 2008–09 season. They finally relegated ...
, contributing financial support for the establishment of the club. Yozgatspor initially competed under the name “Karagümrük Sports Club” with red and black colors from January 23, 1959, to June 28, 1961.


1980–2012

After facing financial difficulties, Karagümrük was relegated to the Third League for an extended period. However, they achieved back-to-back promotions during the 1981–82 season and the 1982–83 season, climbing back to the First League (modern
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
). During this period, their legendary coach Osman Odman, nicknamed “Lağım Osman,” developed several notable players. These included
Abdülkerim Durmaz Abdülkerim Durmaz (born 13 September 1960) is a Turkish former international association football player and football manager and, current pundit and TV Personality. He represented Turkey at senior level in 11 international encounters. Honours ...
, who later joined Fenerbahçe,
Oktay Derelioğlu Oktay Derelioğlu (born 17 December 1975) is a Turkish football manager and former player. Derelioğlu played as a forward and is notable for his goal for the Turkey national team against Belgium during the qualifying rounds of the 1998 FIFA ...
, who transferred to
Trabzonspor Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
, and
Serdar Topraktepe Serdar Topraktepe (born 25 August 1976) is a Turkish football coach and former player who is the assistant manager at Beşiktaş. He played as a striker or as a left sided winger. Topraktepe has previously played for Beşiktaş, Kocaelispor, ...
, who moved to
Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
. Karagümrük was relegated to the Second League in the 1983–84 season. On April 28, 1985, the club changed its name to “Fatih Karagümrük.” The club experienced significant economic struggles in the 1990s, leading to further relegations. By the 1996–97 season, Karagümrük had fallen to the Amateur League. Despite consistently finishing at the top of their group, they were unable to secure promotion until the 1999–2000 season when they finally broke their streak of misfortune and returned to the Third League. During the early 2000s, the club briefly found financial backing through sponsorship from Japanese electronics company
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
. However, the support lasted only one season, and Karagümrük was relegated again in the 2004–05 season. By the 2008–09 season, the club faced a second relegation to the Amateur League due to unfortunate circumstances. In the 2011–12 season, Karagümrük won the
Regional Amateur League In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, earning promotion back to the Third League.


Karagümrük Rebuild Era (2012–2019)

After returning to professional leagues in the 2012–13 season, Karagümrük took a crucial step for the club’s future. On June 20, 2012, the club submitted an application for the registration of its new name and emblem with the
Turkish Football Federation The Turkish Football Federation (; TFF) is the governing body of association football in Turkey. It was formed on 23 April 1923, and joined FIFA the same year and UEFA in 1962. It organizes the Turkey national football team, the Turkish Foo ...
. The football branch of the Fatih Karagümrük Sports Club Association, covering both amateur and professional football activities, was transferred to “Fatih Karagümrük Sportive Activities Industry and Trade Inc. In the 2013–14 season, Karagümrük finished 4th in their group in the Third League and qualified for the Play-Offs. After defeating
Bergama Belediyespor Bergama is a municipality and district of İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,544 km2, and its population is 105,754 (2022). By excluding İzmir's metropolitan area, it is one of the prominent districts of the province in terms of populatio ...
in the semi-finals and 1920 Maraşspor in the final, they were crowned Play-Off Champions and promoted to the Second League. At this time, the club was owned by Cengiz Günaydın, who fought tirelessly for the club’s lost stadium and facilities but could not achieve results. Due to financial difficulties, Günaydın announced that the club was up for sale. On June 26, 2018, Süleyman Hurma, a former sporting director of
Kayserispor Kayseri Spor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, and also called Bellona Kayserispor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional football club based in Kayseri. They play their home matches at the RHG Enertürk Enerji Stadium ...
and
Trabzonspor Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
, purchased 71% of the club’s shares and became its president. In the 2018–19 season, the club appointed
Yusuf Şimşek Yusuf Şimşek (born July 20, 1975) is a Turkish football manager and former player. Club career Fenerbahçe SK During his time at Fenerbahçe, his teammate Ariel Ortega once highlighted Yusuf's incredible talent with the ball: "This guy could ...
as the head coach. However, after six matches, Şimşek resigned, and Cüneyt Dumlupınar took over. The team performed well under Dumlupınar, finishing second in their group in the Second League and qualifying for the Play-Offs. Karagümrük defeated
Şanlıurfaspor Şanlıurfaspor is a Turkish sports club located in Urfa. The football (soccer), football team currently plays in the TFF First League. Current squad Out on loan Honours * TFF Second League ** Winners (1): ...
in the quarter-finals and
Manisa FK Manisa Futbol Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club based in Manisa. The club colours are black and white and they play their home matches at the Manisa 19 Mayıs Stadium. History Founded in 1994 as ''Manisa Belediyespor'', the club ...
in the semi-finals, eventually beating
Sakaryaspor Sakaryaspor Kulübü Derneği is a Turkish professional football club playing in the TFF First League, which is the second level of Turkish football. History The club was formed in 1965 after the merger of ''Adapazarı Gençlerbirliği'', ''Adap ...
in the final to secure promotion to the First League.


2019–Present

The 2019–20 season began with Cüneyt Dumlupınar, but his tenure was abruptly terminated. Following this, team captain
Erkan Zengin Erkan Zengin (born 5 August 1985) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a winger for IFK Haninge. A full international between 2013 and 2016, he won 21 caps for the Sweden national team and represented his country at UEFA Euro 201 ...
was temporarily entrusted with managing the squad. On November 27, 2019,
Giray Bulak Giray Bulak (born 9 March 1958 in Trabzon, Turkey) is a football coach who was most recently the manager of Denizlispor and a former Turkish football player. Player career Bulak was trained in Balıkesirspor's youth academy. His playing car ...
was appointed as the head coach. However, Bulak’s tenure was short-lived due to poor results, with only one win, one draw, and three losses. On December 28, 2019, Karagümrük parted ways with Bulak. In January 2020, president Süleyman Hurma made an unprecedented decision by appointing
Ömer Erdoğan Ömer Erdoğan (born 3 May 1977) is a Turkish football manager and former player who last coached Sivasspor. Playing career Erdoğan began his professional career in Germany. He signed with KSV Hessen Kassel when he was 17, and moved to FC St. ...
as head coach despite his lack of managerial experience. Karagümrük excelled under Erdoğan, suffering only one loss in 12 matches, but he left due to disagreements with management. On July 2, 2020, Karagümrük announced former player
Şenol Can Şenol Can (; born 3 April 1983) is a Bulgarian-Turkish professional football coach and a former player who played as a left back. He last managed TFF 1. Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Playing career Born in Bulgaria to a Turkish family, Can mov ...
as the new head coach. Can led the team to a 5th-place finish in the First League, qualifying for the Play-Offs. Karagümrük defeated
Akhisar Belediyespor Akhisarspor Kulübü (), commonly known as Akhisarspor, is a Turkish professional football club located in the city of Akhisar.
in the semi-finals and
Adana Demirspor Adana Demirspor Kulübü is a multi-sports club based in Adana, Turkey. The football department is the most popular department which relegated to TFF 1. Lig on 16 March 2025 after 4 seasons at the Super Lig. Founded by railway workers of Turk ...
in the final, securing promotion to the
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
. The 2020–21
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
season marked Karagümrük’s return to top-tier football after 36 years. The club finished the season in 8th place with 60 points under Italian coach
Francesco Farioli Francesco Farioli (; born 10 April 1989) is an Italian professional football coach who last managed the Dutch football club Ajax. Farioli started his coaching career in Turkey with spells at Fatih Karagümrük and Alanyaspor. He then had one se ...
. In the following seasons, Karagümrük continued to make bold managerial appointments, including hiring
Volkan Demirel Volkan Demirel (; born 27 October 1981) is a Turkish association football, football coach, pundit and former international goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. For many years, he was the starting goalkeeper of Fenerbahçe S.K. (football ...
and, later, Italian legend
Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian association football, football manager (association football), manager and former professional player. Considered one of the greatest Midfielder (association football)#Deep-lying playmaker, mi ...
. However, managerial changes were frequent, with both coaches departing after short tenures.


League participations

*
Turkish Super League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The ...
: 1958–63, 1983–84, 2020–2024, 2025– *
TFF First League The TFF 1. Lig (), currently referred to as Trendyol 1. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2001 as the ''Turkish Second League Category A'' after the reorganization ...
: 1963–69, 1980–83, 1984–88, 1989–92, 2004–05, 2019–20, 2024–2025 *
TFF Second League The TFF 2. Lig (), currently referred to as Nesine 2. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the third level in the Turkish football league system. It was founded in the 2001–02 season with the name of ''Turkish Second League Category B'' as a continu ...
: 1969–80, 1988–89, 1992–97, 2000–01, 2002–04, 2005–08, 2014–19 *
TFF Third League The TFF 3. Lig (), currently referred to as Nesine 3. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth level in the Turkish football league system. It was founded in the 2001–02 season as a continuation of then third level division Turkish Third Foot ...
: 2001–02, 2008–09, 2012–14 *
Turkish Regional Amateur League The Turkish Regional Amateur League () is the fifth tier of the Turkish football league system. The tier comprises a number (usually 10-13, varies by season) of groups across Turkey, each consisting of teams grouped according to the regions in ...
: 2010–12 *
Amatör Futbol Ligleri The Super Amateur Leagues () comprises a number of football leagues that make up the sixth tier of the Turkish football league system.


See also

*
Fatih Karagümrük S.K. (women's football)


References


External links

*
Fatih Karagümrük
on TFF.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Fatih Karagumruk SK Association football clubs established in 1926 Football clubs in Istanbul Sport in Fatih 1926 establishments in Turkey Süper Lig clubs Sports clubs and teams in Istanbul