Biggest Turkish football rivalries

A uniquely passionate football country, with the atmosphere generated at matches revered around the world, Turkey plays host to some of the most intense derby matches in the sport.

The famous Intercontinental Derby between Istanbul giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is universally regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, and this is just one of a number of individual clashes in Turkey in which there is no love lost between opposing supporters.

We take a deep dive into the biggest derby matches on offer in Turkish football today.

Fenerbahce v Galatasaray

'The Intercontinental Derby'

When it comes to football rivalries across the world, there are few which could challenge the intensity of the Intercontinental Derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

The two most successful clubs in Turkey, with Fenerbahce's record tally of 28 national league titles outweighing Galatasaray in second on 25, more often than not there is more than just bragging rights on the line when the two Istanbul giants clash.

This rivalry earns its 'Intercontinental Derby' tag given the fact that Fenerbahce are the Istanbul club which represent the European part of the city whilst Galatasaray represent the Asian side.

As can be observed in Turkish football grounds across the country, the Intercontinental Derby is renowned for its passion and colour from the terraces, with pyrotechnics typically used by supporters to add to the spectacle.

Besiktas v Fenerbahce

As two of the 'Big Three' Istanbul clubs, Fenerbahce and Besiktas are also fierce rivals.

Besiktas are the third most successful side in Turkey, with their tally of 20 national league titles not far off the totals of their Istanbul adversaries leading the way.

Traditionally a rivalry between Besiktas as a middle class Istanbul club and Fenerbahce representing the working class, the derby between the two sides in the present day is more defined by the fact that the two local teams are typically battling directly against one another for the country's biggest domestic honours.

Matches between Besiktas and Fenerbahce are often fiery affairs with a plethora of yellow and red cards almost to be expected.

Besiktas v Galatasaray

The other meeting of Big Three clubs in Turkey pits Besiktas against Galatasaray in another often bitter affair.

Although both sides are located on the European side of Istanbul, they remain fierce rivals with matches between the pair extremely hostile.

Galatasaray are traditionally the aristocratic club of Istanbul, with Besiktas the club of the middle class.

Besiktas are especially renowned for their fanatic supporters, meaning any meeting with Fenerbahce or Galatasaray is played out in front of a cauldron of noise from both ends of the stadium.

Goztepe v Karsiyaka

'Izmir Derby'

The Izmir Derby refers to the meeting of Goztepe and Karsiyaka, two teams from the city of Izmir which is the third most populated in Turkey behind Istanbul and Ankara.

Although neither side have a particularly illustrious history at the top level of Turkish football, with Goztepe newly promoted to the Super Lig and Karsiyaka currently participating in the fourth tier, the meeting of the two sides is always a feverish occasion.

In 1981, with both teams challenging for the Turkish Second Division title, a match between Goztepe and Karsiyaka entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest attendance for a second tier football match with 80,000 documented spectators.

Fenerbahce v Trabzonspor

Although not a derby in geographical terms, Fenerbahce also share a bitter rivalry with Trabzonspor.

Based in the city of Trabzon in northeastern Turkey, Trabzonspor are arguably the only team to have mounted a significant challenge to the dominance of the Big Three Istanbul clubs, winning six national league titles between 1975 and 1984.

During this golden era in Trabzonspor's history, Fenerbahce were their closest competitors which resulted in an intense rivalry between the two clubs forming which can still be felt today.