A Team For The People

Erhan Kahveci, Turkey

Erhan Kahveci is a fan of Trabzonspor in Turkey. In the 2021-22 season, Trabzonspor ended a drought of 38 years to win the Turkish league title.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?

My name is Erhan Kahveci. I am from Turkey but now live in Italy. Since I was a child, football has always been a part of my life. I feel lucky to be a part of a generation who enjoyed playing on the streets. I remember spending all day outside, playing football with the other kids, and hoping it would not rain the next day so I could do it all over again!

What did you try to show with the photos?

I took the photos mainly around the stadium in Trabzon, Turkey, and in the small villages in the mountains. The matchday in Trabzon is always the most important one in the town, no matter what.

Whenever possible we go to the stadium as a family and see the game. This has become a family tradition that I really enjoy. And the excitement starts many hours before the game. People dance together to the traditional music, discuss tactics, and wait for the kick-off.

Before one game, my family and I were walking around the stadium when suddenly a woman, a complete stranger to us, excitedly called out to my mother: let me give you some make-up! These random stories make the game even more beautiful.

Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

I wanted to share the story of Trabzon’s football club, Trabzonspor, and the connection people have with the team.

Trabzon, a small coastal city on the Black Sea, does not provide many opportunities for its people. The weather is always gloomy, the sea is always rough, and there are few high-paying jobs. Trabzonspor has become the meaning of life for people. All the kids, playing football on the hills with cheap black rubber shoes, dream about playing for Trabzonspor one day. Trabzonspor gives people a dream and a purpose, and keeps their hopes alive. Everyone, even the grandmas, knows the squad by heart and always has an idea of the right tactics to win the game.

To understand this passion, one needs to understand the football circumstances in Turkey. Until Trabzonspor, the league was dominated by teams from Istanbul. All the titles were won by them, all the big players were playing for them. With money and power, Istanbul had everything. But then came Trabzonspor, a small club from Anatolia, who overthrew the hegemony of Istanbul clubs. Following the promotion to the top league, Trabzonspor won five titles in six years. Trabzonspor became more than a team, the club became a symbol of rebellion not just in Trabzon but all around Turkey.

Kazim Koyuncu, who was a dearly loved singer and activist, described best what it means to support Trabzonspor for the people:

"Supporting Trabzonspor is not a nationalist behaviour that can only be explained by being a child of that region. For me, Trabzonspor was the imaginary hero who stood up to the strongest and beat everyone. He was such a hero that he even overturned the status quo. Trabzonspor's expression for me is to stand against the power and to show that the weak exist against the strong and they can do something."

Why was last season so special for you as a fan?

As Trabzonspor fans, we had multiple traumas in the past. When I was nine, I remember watching the game with my father against Fenerbahce. It was almost the end of the season, and a draw would almost guarantee the title. We scored the first goal but then lost the game and the title. I can still remember how much it made me cry.

Then again during the infamous 2010/2011 season. We lost the title on goal difference to Fenerbahce, who magically won all the games in the second half of the season. Even though the match-fixing scandal blew out and Fenerbahce got banned from the European competitions for match-fixing, the Turkish Football Federation declared them as the champions.

Whatever could go wrong, always went wrong for Trabzonspor, up until the last season. We won the title, weeks before the end of the season, after 38 years! It is the first title win in my life. I could not believe seeing the banner "Champion Trabzonspor" on the television. I did not know how to celebrate. I was totally dumbfounded.

But, to celebrate the title, people visited the graveyards to share it with their loved ones. The title became an emotional bridge for them. This shows me what Trabzonspor means to people. People who had never been able to celebrate a championship with their loved ones were finally able to do so, though in different worlds. I find it very poetic.

What role does football play in your community and Turkish society?

Football has always been the most popular sport in Turkey. People are very passionate about their teams and the game. I think this is because football acts as a getaway from our daily struggles. The photos in which people dance together before the game, and the photos of the football fields on the top of the hills are my favourites. They show how football brings joy to people and how it is deeply rooted in their lives.

What does football mean to you? What is the future of football in Turkey?

Football means passion and unity. It is more than a game, almost a universal language that connects people, no matter the different political views or different lifestyles. It eliminates social status and fills people's hearts with the same emotions.

Unfortunately, it is hard to predict the future of football in Turkey. There is now a big gap between European and Turkish football in the quality of the players. Even though there are some new young talented players coming up, football and the overall structure must change to improve the game. And I do not see it happening soon in Turkey.