Turkish Super Lig to kick off Friday with Besiktas, Caykur Rizespor facing off

Fans must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend games, away supporters barred from matches

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - The 2021-2022 Turkish Super Lig season will begin with the clash between defending champions Besiktas and Caykur Rizespor on Friday.

Fans will watch 20 teams from 13 provinces of Turkey as there will be 380 matches in the fixtures over 282 days during the 2021-2022 season.

- Season to end next May 22

The first half of the new season will end on Dec. 27 while the second half will take place from Jan. 7, 2022 to May 22, 2022.

Fans are set to be back in stadiums after a long break due to the coronavirus pandemic. But they need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to watch the matches in venues.

Spectators who have contracted the disease will also be able to attend the matches for a period of 180 days after completing their quarantine process.

Away supporters will not be allowed into the matches as part of measures taken against the threat of a new outbreak.

- Super Lig to be played with 20 teams for 5th time in its history

A total of 20 teams will compete in the top-tier division for the fifth time in the league's history following the 1959-1960, 1960-1961, 1961-1962, and 1987-1988 seasons.

Four clubs will be relegated and teams will continue to be allowed to make five substitutions per game.

The first derby match in the league will be played between Besiktas and Galatasaray in the matchday 10.

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce will face off in the matchday 13, while Fenerbahce and Besiktas will face each other in the matchday 17.

- 18 Turkish managers in charge of clubs

A total of 18 Turkish head coaches are in charge of Super Lig teams and the rest for two clubs will be managed by foreign coaches -- Portuguese Vitor Pereira (Fenerbahce) and Italian Francesco Farioli (VavaCars Fatih Karagumruk).

Teams can have a maximum of 14 foreign players on the squad, while maximum eight of them are permitted to play on the pitch at the same time during the 2021-22 season.

The fixtures of matchday 1 are as follows:

Friday:

Besiktas - Caykur Rizespor

Saturday:

VavaCars Fatih Karagumruk - Gaziantep

Altay - Kayserispor

Atakas Hatayspor - Kasimpasa

Sunday:

Medipol Basaksehir - Alanyaspor

Fraport TAV Antalyaspor - Goztepe

Adana Demirspor - Fenerbahce

Monday: