As Turkish Süper Lig’s Başakşehir gear up for their 55th European match against Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Athletic in the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff first leg, the Istanbul-based side reflects on their mixed European history.
In their 54 previous European outings, Başakşehir has secured 21 victories, drawn 12 times and suffered 21 defeats, scoring 80 goals while conceding 76.
Under coach Çağdaş Atan, Başakşehir will face their fifth European test.
Atan’s tenure has been flawless so far, with the team winning all four matches he has overseen in European competitions.
In these matches, they have netted 13 goals and conceded just one.
Atan’s European debut saw Başakşehir thrash San Marino’s La Fiorita 6-1 at home and 4-0 away.
In their third European encounter under Atan, Başakşehir defeated Iberia Tbilisi 1-0 in Georgia and 2-0 in Istanbul.
Dealing with away day
Başakşehir will embark on their 28th European away game against St. Patrick’s Athletic.
The team’s away record stands at nine wins, five draws, and 13 losses from 27 matches.
They have scored 37 goals and conceded 47 on the road.
Edin Visca, now with Trabzonspor, remains Başakşehir’s top European scorer with 14 goals.
He is followed by Stefano Okaka and Danijel Aleksic, each with six goals.
Other notable contributors include İrfan Can Kahveci with five goals, Krzysztof Piatek and Berkay Özcan with four each and several players who have scored three or two goals.
Başakşehir first entered European competition in the 2015-16 season but was eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League by AZ Alkmaar.
Their first breakthrough came in the 2016-17 season when they advanced past Rijeka, a milestone achieved by drawing 0-0 at home and 2-2 away.
The 2017-18 season saw Başakşehir secure their first European victory by overcoming Club Brugge with a 2-0 home win after a 3-3 draw away.
Their first UEFA Europa League last-32 appearance came in the 2019-20 season, followed by reaching the last 16 by defeating Sporting Lisbon.
Başakşehir made their Champions League debut in the 2020-21 season, marking their first win and goal in the competition with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
İrfan Can Kahveci also made history by scoring a hat trick against Leipzig.
In the 2022-23 UEFA Conference League, Başakşehir advanced to the Round of 16 after drawing 1-1 with Maccabi Netanya in their opening match.
Their most significant European win came in the 2024-25 season’s second qualifying round, with a 6-1 victory over San Marino’s La Fiorita.
