Navigating through a storm of injuries and squad shake-ups, Beşiktaş find themselves at the midway point of the 2023-2024 Süper Lig season in a precarious fifth place with 29 points.
The quest for stability has proven elusive for the Black Eagles, with the first half marked by a revolving door of players and coaching adjustments that have left fans yearning for a more consistent performance.
Under the joint leadership of Şenol Güneş, Burak Yılmaz, Rıza Çalımbay and Serdar Topraktepe, Beşiktaş struggled to hit their stride in the wake of numerous injuries and the departure of key figures, including Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Bailly, Jean Onana, Rachid Ghezzal and Valentin Rosier.
Throughout the initial 17-week stretch of the league, 26 players donned the black and white jersey, yet the coaching staff grappled to construct the ideal starting 11 due to the persistent absence of key players.
Amid the flux, the Bosnian midfielder Amir Hadziahmetovic emerged as the team's bedrock, starting 14 of the 15 matches he played, clocking an impressive 1146 minutes on the field.
Hadziahmetovic's resilience was closely followed by Salih Uçan with 1105 minutes, Omar Colley with 1080 minutes, Onur Bulut with 1058 minutes and goalkeeper Mert Günok with 1050 minutes.
Notably, the surprising top scorer for Beşiktaş in the first half was Gambian defender Omar Colley.
Despite his central defensive role, Colley netted five goals in 12 appearances, showcasing an unexpected offensive prowess.
The team collectively scored 25 goals in 17 matches and witnessed contributions from 10 players.
Vincent Aboubakar and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain found the net four times each, while Cenk Tosun notched three goals.
Milot Rashica and Jackson Muleka added two goals each, and a group of players, including Salih Uçan, Gedson Fernandes, Rachid Ghezzal and Semih Kılıçsoy, scored once.
Uğurcan Yazğılı sealed the deal with one of Beşiktaş's goals in the 2-0 victory over Konyaspor.
Regarding discipline, Beşiktaş accrued two red cards and 38 yellow cards in the first half of the season.
Mert Günok, the national goalkeeper, received one red card and three yellow cards, while Amir Hadziahmetovic, a key figure in the team, faced one red card and two yellow cards.
Ante Rebic led the yellow card count with five, adding a combative edge to the squad's performance.
To add insult to injury, their board member, Tarkan Ser, officially stepped down from his role on Monday.
In a statement released on the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), Beşiktaş announced, "Tarkan Ser, a member of our company's Board of Directors, has tendered his resignation from the board citing work-related commitments."
As Beşiktaş head into the second half of the season, the challenges and triumphs of the first act serve as a backdrop to what promises to be an unpredictable and riveting continuation of their journey in the Süper Lig.