Eyupspor

Founded in 1919 in Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, Eyüpspor have long been identified as a (’‘Haliç’’) neighbourhood club, wearing the traditional purple-and-yellow (’‘eflatun–sarı’’) colours. In the inter-war years the club took part in the Istanbul regional competitions and appeared in the Istanbul Football League between 1935 and 1938; contemporary fixture records list several Eyüpspor matches from those seasons.

Eyüpspor entered the national pyramid in the 1970–71 season with promotion to the Third League, but dropped back to the Regional Amateur level two years later. Regaining momentum in the mid-1980s, the club won their group in the Third League in 1986–87 and moved up to the Second League. After a difficult spell in 1993–94 they slipped back into the Third League, but returned again in the early 2000s with another quick climb.

A modern turning point came in 2019 when businessman Murat Özkaya was elected club president. Özkaya has publicly outlined a plan to professionalise operations, eliminate legacy debts and re-establish the club as a model neighbourhood team with sustainable finances.

Under the revamped structure the team dominated the 2020–21 season, winning the TFF 2. Lig with a record points haul and lifting the championship trophy to return to the second tier. In 2021–22 Eyüpspor reached the 1. Lig play-offs but were eliminated by Bandırmaspor over two legs in the semi-finals (1–0, 0–3).

In April 2023 the club appointed former international Arda Turan as head coach to lead a promotion push. Building a squad with top-flight experience, Eyüpspor added high-profile names such as Ryan Babel (free agent after Galatasaray), Ömer Bayram (agreement after Galatasaray exit), Caner Erkin (veteran left-back returning to Istanbul), and later Belgian striker Gianni Bruno.

The 2023–24 campaign proved decisive. On 7 April 2024 Eyüpspor sealed a first-ever Süper Lig promotion by beating Altay 4–1 in Istanbul, a match in which Gianni Bruno scored twice with five rounds left to play; the following week they clinched the 1. Lig title, finishing the season with a 4–0 away win at Erzurumspor FK. Eyüpspor enter the top flight as the seventh Istanbul representative in 2024–25, positioning themselves as a community-rooted club with top-flight ambitions under the current board led by Murat Özkaya and technical staff headed by Arda Turan.

The 2024–25 season marked Eyüpspor’s debut in the Süper Lig. In a remarkable first campaign, they secured top-flight survival and finished 6th—surpassing expectations with emphatic home victories over Beşiktaş and Galatasaray and a dramatic late-season win against Trabzonspor.

In May 2025, Arda Turan departed to accept the managerial role at Shakhtar Donetsk. He was succeeded at Eyüpspor by former international teammate Selçuk Şahin, under whose leadership the club continues to aim for stability and sustained Süper Lig status.