Football in Turkey

Association football is the most popular sport in Turkey, tracing its roots to the Ottoman Empire. The first matches were played in Selanik, now Thessaloníki, in 1875. The sport was introduced by English residents. The Turkish football league system comprises five professional leagues, one of which is dedicated to female athletes.

Turkey's first professional league was established as the Istanbul Football League in 1904 by James Fontaine. The league ran until 1959, when it was replaced by the Turkish Super League. Football leagues were found especially in Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Eskişehir, Tokat and Trabzon. These leagues were replaced by provincial football clubs beginning in the first half of the 1960s.

The Süper Lig (Super League), known as the Spor Toto Süper Lig, is the top division in Turkey. The league contains 18 clubs. The champion receives an automatic berth in the group stage of the European Champions League. Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor are the most successful Turkish clubs that participate in the competition, winning more titles than any other club. Galatasaray has won the highest number of trophies (having won more League and Turkish Cup trophies than any other team). The current Süper Lig champions are Besiktas, who won the 2015–16 season.

This league ushered in clubs from all over Turkey to compete with each other. Currently, clubs finishing in the top four places in the league enter qualifying rounds of European competitions, and the winner of the Turkish Cup, if not one of the top four, is also given a spot. The three teams with the fewest points each season are relegated to the TFF First League.

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Wikipedia