The Turkish football giant advanced to this qualifying stage with an aggregate score of 2:0, defeating the Czech team Hradec Kralove.
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Kauno Žalgiris faces not only an opponent distinguished by titles and a glorious history but also another opportunity to turn a new page in the team’s history, so we invite you to get acquainted with the upcoming rivals.
THE TURKISH FOOTBALL GIANT
Beşiktaş is one of the oldest and most decorated Turkish clubs, founded back in 1903. Due to the team’s attacking and bold play on the field, the team is also nicknamed the “Black Eagles.”
In the top Turkish football league, Beşiktaş has won 16 championship titles, the last time triumphing in the 2020–2021 season, while in the past four years, Istanbul’s Galatasaray players have dominated the league.
Additionally, the club’s collection includes 11 Turkish Cup and 10 national Super Cup titles.
Beşiktaş is one of the three biggest football clubs in Istanbul and all of Turkey – along with Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. Naturally, such football flagships based in one city cause significant rivalry among fans.
UNTOUCHED IN EUROPE
This season, Beşiktaş players began their UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign from the second round, where the Istanbul club twice defeated Denmark’s Midtjylland – 1:0 at home and 2:0 away, so the Turkish club comes to the duel with Kauno Žalgiris having not conceded a single goal so far.
In the third round, the future Žalgiris opponents faced the Czech team Hradec Kralove. Beşiktaş won the first match at the opponents’ fortress 1:0, and repeated the exact same result in front of their home fans.
Speaking of history, Beşiktaş players have been competing in European tournaments since 1958, so over more than six decades, the club has accumulated considerable experience.
Beşiktaş’s best achievement in the UEFA Champions League dates back to the 1986–1987 season. The Istanbul club, competing in the then European Champions Cup, advanced all the way to the league quarterfinals.
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However, their Turkish campaign was stopped there by Kyiv’s Dynamo – Beşiktaş lost the first match 0:2 and had to acknowledge the opponent’s superiority without much fight in the return match – 0:5.
In the 2017–2018 season, the future Žalgiris opponents reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16, achieving this without a single loss, winning four matches and drawing twice.
Despite the fact that Beşiktaş has never won a UEFA club tournament title in its history, the Turkish giant has defeated high-level opponents in Europe multiple times – teams like Porto, Olympiacos from Piraeus, and Chelsea from London have fallen to the Turks.
A NEW FACE
The Istanbul club welcomed the 2026–2027 season significantly renewed – the team’s head coach became Italian Vincenzo Italiano, who previously coached teams like Fiorentina in Florence and Bologna.
One of the most important summer additions was midfielder Orkun Kokçu, who represented Turkey in the last World Cup. The 25-year-old footballer moved to Istanbul after a stint at Lisbon’s Benfica, and his market value is about 25 million euros. Kokçu has already scored two goals in this UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign.
Beşiktaş’s colors are also defended by Nigerian national team midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, South Korean forward Hyeongyu Oh, Kosovo national team player Milt Rashica, Czech Vaclav Černy, and other footballers competing on the international stage. The last two players have also scored goals in this qualifying round.
STARS
Many world football stars have worn the black and white shirts in Beşiktaş’s history. Among the best-known players of recent decades is Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma, who spent a couple of seasons in Istanbul and became the most prolific Beşiktaş player in UEFA Europa League history – with 9 goals to his name.
The club also featured players like Pepe, Mario Gomez, and Sergen Yalçın.
The Beşiktaş and Kauno Žalgiris clash in Turkey will begin on August 20th at 19:50 Lithuanian time. The return match will take place on August 27th at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium.
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