While their stadium is being demolished, BJK need a temporary home. The club chose to rest at neighbouring Kasımpaşa for the upcoming season. This raised criticism among fans, because the clubs are extremely antagonized recently.

It’s been clear for quite some time, that Beşiktaş needs to find a temporary home while their cult stadium is being demolished. And though one stand of Inonu is already down, it wasn’t until recent days that any decision was made.

And contrary to many assumptions suggesting BJK will play at the large national stadium, ‘Eagles’ chose to relocate to nearby R. T. Erdogan Stadi for the 2013/14 season. It’s over twice smaller than the home ground of BJK, but that is hardly the biggest problem Beşiktaş faces now.

The proximity of both stadium’s at Istanbul’s historical heart is very problematic and has been cause for antagonism for years. Especially recently Kasımpaşa is subject to negative emotions as the club of prime minister Erdogan, even honouring him in the stadium name.

It was Erdogan, who BJK fans were fighting against in the streets between the two stadiums recently in their thousands. Apart from violence in the streets and accusations of disproportionate brutality of the police, authorities even heated things up by declaring BJK supporter group as a terrorist organization (!) and arresting its leaders immediately after. This is one of the reasons for many BJK declaring boycott on home games next season.