Alanyaspor

Did You Know?

• Alanyaspor made their European debut in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League, entering at the third qualifying round and losing 1–0 to Rosenborg in Trondheim on 24 September 2020.
• Alanyaspor's first-ever European match was a single-leg tie played behind closed doors under UEFA's one-off COVID-19 qualifying format.

History

Alanyaspor began in 1948 when Dr. Ali Nazım Köseoğlu and a group of local young people founded an amateur club called Alanya Kalespor, later renamed Kale Gençlikspor. Its first colours were blue and white. The team played at the amateur level until it gained full affiliation for the 1965–66 season, at which point it joined the Antalya Amateur League wearing red and white. In May 1982, under chairman Hüseyin Arıkan, the club changed its statutes, adopted its current orange and green colours, and took the name Alanyaspor. When Turkey created the professional TFF 3. Lig in 1984–85, Alanyaspor became the first professional team from Alanya and was admitted to that league, while construction of the Alanya Oba Stadium was finally finished. Under president Necati Azakoğlu, the club won its TFF 3. Lig group in 1987–88 and earned its first promotion to the TFF 2. Lig. In the 1993–94 Turkish Cup, Alanyaspor reached the sixth round. Relegation back to the TFF 3. Lig came in 1996–97, but the team returned as TFF 3. Lig champions in 2003–04. The club topped its group in 2005–06, advanced to the promotion group, and then reached the Ankara play-offs, where Pendikspor eliminated them. In 2007–08, Alanyaspor led its classification group and, in the Turkish Cup, beat top-flight Sivasspor 1–0 to qualify for the group stage for the first time. On 23 January 2008, they faced Fenerbahçe at Milli Egemenlik Stadium in Alanya, losing 10–3, and finished the group without any points against Kayserispor, Şanlıurfaspor, and Gaziantepspor. The following season, 2008–09, they again reached the group stage after eliminating Gençlerbirliği 2–1, drawing with Sivasspor and Manisaspor, but losing to Denizlispor and Konyaspor. The club narrowly avoided relegation in 2009–10 and finished 16th in 2010–11. A leadership crisis in 2011 led to a brief interim period under Mevlüthan Çavuşoğlu, after which Hasan Çavuşoğlu was elected with broad support and oversaw the club’s modern rise. Alanyaspor finished 9th in 2012–13 and, during winter camp, hosted Galatasaray in a friendly at Alanya Oba Stadium. In 2013–14, following a notable 2–1 friendly win over Fenerbahçe, the team finished second in the 2. Lig Red Group and won the promotion play-offs by beating Amed and Ankaragücü, then defeating Hatayspor on penalties to reach the TFF 1. Lig.

Supporters

Alanyaspor's fan culture took off quickly as the club climbed through the professional divisions in the 2010s. The earlier coordinating body, the Alanyaspor Fans Association, dissolved itself in 2017, saying it had fulfilled its purpose and urging independent supporter groups to handle matchday activities going forward. Once the team reached the Süper Lig, the main fan sections became the Maraton (sideline) and Kale Arkası (behind the goal) at Alanya Oba Stadium. In 2022, local news reported that several fan groups decided to merge in the Kale Arkası to create a more powerful and unified atmosphere. Ticket and season-ticket sales have been a frequent topic in local media, with the club announcing price levels and purchase windows each summer as demand grew alongside the team’s continued presence in the top flight. Alanyaspor’s biggest regional rivalry is with Antalyaspor, and their matches are often called the “Akdeniz derbisi” (Mediterranean derby). These games have seen coordinated displays and tifo from both sets of supporters, along with occasional club-led efforts to keep the competition respectful. Matchdays in Alanya are also influenced by the area’s notably large foreign-resident community and tourist flow, which bring a noticeable number of international fans to league games. By 2022, academic and official data showed that foreign residents made up over 13% of Alanya’s population, with tens of thousands holding residence permits, explaining the club’s multilingual outreach and mixed crowds. The club has also held joint events with supporter groups from time to time to promote a positive stadium environment and good relations with visiting fans, especially during high-profile fixtures.

Stadium

Alanyaspor calls the Alanya Oba Stadium home. This municipal facility sits in the Oba district on the eastern side of Alanya and serves multiple purposes. It is an all-seater venue, with official city planning documents recording 10,846 seats. Depending on match-day setup and safety rules, recent press reports have pegged the actual attendance figure closer to 9,784. Before the club’s debut in the Süper Lig, the local government upgraded the stadium with new seats, turnstiles, better lighting, and improved media areas to satisfy top-division standards. Over the years, the ground has been known under different sponsorship names. During the mid-2010s, it was marketed as Bahçeşehir Okulları Stadium, and for the 2022–23 season it briefly carried the name Kırbıyık Holding Stadium under a local deal. The Turkish Football Federation officially lists the venue as Alanyaspor Alanya Oba Stadium in its facility register. Before making Oba their permanent home, the team used the Alanya Milli Egemenlik Stadium, a smaller and older multi-use ground closer to the city center, for league matches, cup games, and training. According to local authority records, that venue holds about 1,200 spectators under basic covered stands, becoming a secondary facility once Oba took over as the main stadium. Independent stadium guides describe Oba as a compact, football-specific ground that Alanyaspor has used since the early 2010s, following a long period of stop-and-start stadium construction in the district.

Rivalry with Antalyaspor

Alanyaspor’s biggest rivalry is with Antalyaspor, the more established club from the provincial capital. Their match, the Akdeniz Derbisi (Mediterranean Derby), became a regular top-tier fixture after Alanyaspor reached the Süper Lig in 2016. What was once a local contest for bragging rights between the coastal cities of Antalya and Alanya grew into a nationally recognized derby. Local authorities have sometimes banned away fans and increased security for the game. In January 2024, the Antalya Governor’s Office barred visiting supporters from a league match in Alanya, a step also taken in other seasons based on risk assessments. On the field, the derby tends to produce tight scores and frequent shifts in momentum. National and local media often portray it as important for European qualification or mid-table standings. In March 2024, Antalyaspor won 2–1 at home, a result the press called significant in the provincial rivalry. Alanyaspor regularly highlights the derby’s symbolic importance in its own communications and marketing. Broadcasters routinely present it as the showcase match of Antalya Province, emphasizing both its competitive edge and cultural significance.