Karşıyaka fans canceled transfer announced just 1 day before

Aiming for the championship in the upcoming season, Karşıyaka signed a contract with 22-year-old Kadir Bakırtaş, a versatile player from Trabzonspor who can play right-back and midfield. However, the transfer of experienced stopper Gençer Cansev, who also joined the team the same day, was canceled following fan backlash.

KARŞIYAKA FLAG CRISIS

Karşıyaka fans objected to Gençer's signing on social media due to an incident that occurred 8.5 years ago. During a derby match between Karşıyaka and arch-rival Göztepe on April 10, 2016, at İzmir Atatürk Stadium, Gençer, then playing for Göztepe, planted his team's flag at the center circle after the match.

The green-red supporters recalled that Gençer, who scored one of Göztepe's goals in that 2-0 match during the season when Karşıyaka was relegated from the 1st League, provoked fans with the flag incident, leading to disruptions in the stands. The two rival teams have not competed in the same league since that season, and Karşıyaka withdrew from the transfer following the fans' reactions. Gençer also agreed to part ways due to threats made against him and his family on social media.

STATEMENT FROM KARŞIYAKA BOARD

Karşıyaka's board issued a statement regarding the cancellation of the veteran player's transfer: "The agreement reached on 24.07.2024 between our club and professional football player Gençer Cansev has been mutually terminated due to the sensitivity of our fans. We respectfully announce this to our fans, community, and the public."

KARŞIYAKA-GÖZTEPE RIVALRY AND 1980 MATCH

The Göztepe-Karşıyaka Derby, also known as the İzmir Derby, refers to the matches between the football teams of Super League team Göztepe and TFF 3rd League team Karşıyaka, two clubs based in İzmir.

The pinnacle of the Göztepe-Karşıyaka rivalry is widely acknowledged after the unforgettable match in 1980, attended by 80,000 spectators. While there was already a rivalry before this date, the match, watched by such a large crowd, elevated the competition to a new level. Additionally, Karşıyaka lost their chance of promotion to Göztepe after leaving points to Bandırmaspor in the final week. Fans would struggle to recover from this shock, further fueling their animosity towards Göztepe. This match also solidified Göztepe's connection with İzmir. People began to enjoy attending matches more, while Karşıyaka fans became even more devoted to their team. Following the 1980 event, achieving promotion to the 1st League and surpassing Göztepe became a matter of pride for them.

The 1980 Göztepe-Karşıyaka derby caught the attention of the global press. The Guardian reported on this match, highlighting it as one of the most remarkable derbies not played in the top division, emphasizing that 80,000 people watched the match.

The website footballderbies.com, known for its extensive research and ranking of derbies, declared the Göztepe-Karşıyaka derby the 29th biggest derby in the world. The site began its article with the question, "Can you imagine a 2nd league match with 80,000 spectators?" emphasizing the importance of the derby. This question underscores the significance of the 1980 match.