Çaykur Rizespor

History

Origins in Rize football (1919–1924)

Modern football in the city predates Çaykur Rizespor and grew out of two neighbourhood clubs formed in the immediate aftermath of World War I. Rize İdman Yurdu was the first organised sports club in Rize. It was established by local youths still recovering from the war years and was officially inaugurated on the first anniversary of the city’s liberation from occupation.

Guidance from officials such as Suphi Bey (then stationed in Rize) and senior security officer İsmail Kentay helped the group to secure a small two-room clubhouse next to the Rize Municipality building. In addition to football and gymnastics, the club maintained a music branch that later evolved into the Rize City Band; the instruments were donated by deputy Süleyman Sudi Sofoğlu, Member of Parliament for Lazistan.

A second club, Şark İdman Ocağı, began activities on 25 June 1923 out of the venue known as Barış Oteli. Its founding council included Ali Kemal Kavrakoğlu, Rıfkı Tuzcuoğlu, İshak Turnaoğlu, Hamdullah Şadoğlu, Hasan Biber, Riyazi Diren and Kamil Karadeniz. Despite the city’s conservative social climate at the time, Şark İdman Ocağı quickly built a loyal following and became a focal point for Rize’s growing sports culture.

The rivalry between the two clubs produced the city’s first regular derbies. Contemporary press records note an early meeting on 7 November 1923, when Şark İdman Ocağı defeated Rize İdman Yurdu 1–0; the referee was Captain İsmet Bey of the 7th Regiment, then stationed in Rize. These community teams laid the organisational and cultural groundwork from which the city’s later professional structure and ultimately Çaykur Rizespor emerged.

In the early years, Şark İdman Ocağı and Rize İdman Yurdu shaped the city’s game and its first local rivalry. Contemporary reports show the sides meeting regularly and arranging exhibition trips to neighbouring football centres such as Trabzon and Samsun, helping spread the sport along the eastern Black Sea coast.

Beyond football, both associations promoted gymnastics and general physical education; prominent organisers included Suphi Bey, who devoted particular energy to this branch. Şark İdman Ocağı maintained its activities for roughly two years, while Rize İdman Yurdu evolved through several stages of reorganisation and later provided the platform for the city’s subsequent club structures (including what would become Rize Fener Gençlik Kulübü), thereby preserving the footballing continuity that ultimately led to the foundation of Çaykur Rizespor.

Foundation

Rizespor were founded in Rize on 19 May 1953 the 34th anniversary of the Independence Day “to enhance the physical and cultural abilities of local youth”. The founding committee included Yakup Temizel, Atıf Taviloğlu, Bilsel, Yaşar Tümbeçkioğlu and Muharrem Kürkçü; Yaşar Dömekçioğlu served as the first president. The original club colours were yellow and green: “yellow” for the oranges and lemons then plentiful in the city, and “green” symbolising tea, which remains the emblem of Rize today.

From 1953 to 1968 the team competed as amateurs, with many of the province’s leading players wearing the club’s shirt. In 1968, a revised statute brought professional status through a merger with Rize Güneşspor, Rizegücü and Fener Gençlik; the restructured club adopted the blue-green (mavi-yeşil) colours to reflect the Black Sea and the tea fields, and were admitted to the TFF 2. Lig.

In their first professional campaign Rizespor missed out on promotion after a disciplinary ruling that awarded a 3–0 forfeit to Sivasspor and deducted two points from Rizespor, with Tarsus İdman Yurdu promoted instead. After a brief return to the amateur ranks they won the TFF 2. Lig in 1978–79 and earned the club’s first promotion to the TFF 1. Lig.

Recent history

On 9 February 1991 an extraordinary general assembly approved a merger with the state tea company Çaykur, after which the professional football section continued as “Çaykur Rizespor”.

Rizespor were relegated from the Süper Lig in 2001–02, but returned at the first attempt the following season via the TFF First League (then 1. Lig). They remained at the top level through 2003–04, but dropped again at the end of 2007–08.

Between 2008 and 2013 the club competed in the First League, finishing runners-up in 2012–13 to secure promotion back to the Süper Lig after five seasons away. Relegation followed in 2016–17, but Rizespor immediately won the 2017–18 First League title and returned once more to the top flight.

The 2020–21 campaign brought significant coaching changes: the club parted with Stjepan Tomas in November, appointed Marius Șumudică briefly, and closed the season under Bülent Uygun, finishing 13th on 48 points; in the Turkish Cup they exited in the round of 16 against Beşiktaş. Relegation came in 2021–22 after a 17th-place finish, but the team finished second in 2022–23 to win immediate promotion.

On 13 June 2023 the club appointed İlhan Palut as head coach after the departure of Bülent Korkmaz. Palut’s first season (2023–24) ended with a 9th-place finish on 50 points, the club’s best Süper Lig tally since their 2018–19 campaign. In May 2024 the board confirmed Palut’s continuation into 2024–25 with a medium-term sporting plan centred on academy development and targeted free-transfer acquisitions.

Beyond football, in February 2015 the club announced a multi-branch programme adding women’s football and 19 other disciplines (including basketball, handball, volleyball, rowing and athletics) to its structure as part of a broader community strategy.

Rivalries

Main article: List of association football rivalries

Rizespor’s principal rivalry is with Trabzonspor, and meetings between the sides are commonly billed in the Turkish press as the Karadeniz derbisi (Black Sea derby). The pairing draws on geographic proximity on the eastern Black Sea coast, regular league meetings since the 1970s and extensive away support travelling along the coastal highway. Local and national media routinely frame the match as a regional showcase fixture and note the heightened match-day security measures that accompany it.

A second traditional rivalry links Rizespor with Giresunspor and is often referred to as the Doğu Karadeniz derbisi. The two coastal neighbours have contested promotions and relegations across the First and Second League eras, and both clubs’ supporter groups—Rizespor’s Yeşil-Mavililer and Giresunspor’s Çotanaklar treat the fixture as a regional supremacy match.

Rizespor also share competitive, travel-friendly rivalries with fellow Black Sea clubs Samsunspor and with inland neighbours Erzurumspor, borne out of frequent clashes in the First League and high away followings on both sides.

Stadium

Main article: Rize Atatürk Stadium, Rize City Stadium

For most of their professional history Rizespor played at the old Rize Atatürk Stadium, a compact, seaside ground close to the city centre. Opened in the 1950s and repeatedly refurbished, it served as the club’s home through promotions and relegations alike and was a regular venue for Black Sea derbies until it was decommissioned in the late 2000s as part of a wider urban renewal scheme.

Since the 2009–10 season the club have hosted home matches at the new Rize City Stadium on the city’s western outskirts. The venue initially known as New Rize City Stadium was inaugurated on 12 August 2009 with an opening match against Fenerbahçe. The all-seater stadium has a capacity of about 15,500, modern hospitality areas and full roof coverage; the playing surface is a hybrid natural grass system designed to cope with the region’s heavy rainfall.

In 2015 the facility’s naming rights were acquired by the state tea producer ÇAYKUR and the ground has since been marketed as the Çaykur Didi Stadyumu in league publications.

Supporters

Rizespor supporters are commonly known as the Atmacalar (“Hawks”), a nickname that reflects both the club crest and the rugged Black Sea character of the city. On match days at the Çaykur Didi Stadium, groups traditionally gather behind each goal—one end facing the sea and the other the mountain side—while families and season-ticket holders occupy the lateral stands.

; Rotasızlar

Formed in 2006, Rotasızlar is one of the most visible ultra groups. After initially spreading across several sections, the group settled behind the goal at the sea-side end of the new stadium. Rotasızlar are associated with the Askoroz area of the city and are known for continual, 90-minute vocal support, drums and large choreographies.

; Atmacalar

Established in 2013 as an umbrella platform bringing together newly created sub-groups, the Atmacalar tribün unites younger supporters behind common songs and visual displays. The initiative aimed to coordinate away-day travel and stadium choreography and to reduce inter-group rivalry within the home stands.

; Mekansızlar

Founded in 1999, Mekansızlar traditionally occupy the goal end on the mountain side of the ground. Composed largely of experienced names from the club’s supporter culture, they are noted for disciplined capo-led chants and for the banner “Dağdibi Cehennemi” (“Hell of Dağdibi”), a reference to the neighbourhood below the hillside stand.

Together these groups shape the club’s home atmosphere: coordinated tifos for key fixtures, continuous call-and-response songs, and corteos through the city centre on match days. While each maintains its own identity, they typically cooperate for major derbies and relegation or promotion deciders to present a single, unified end.

Crest and Colors

Before the 1968 merger, Rizespor’s colors were green and yellow, while Fener Gençlik wore yellow and navy blue, and Güneşspor used yellow and red. When the three clubs united to form a single team, new colors were chosen to represent their shared identity. Inspired by nature, green was chosen to symbolize Rize’s rich greenery, and blue to represent the Black Sea. Since then, Rizespor has used green and blue (yeşil-mavi) as its official colors.

Rizespor’s crest has changed several times over the years, reflecting both the club’s development and its strong connection to the Rize region. The earliest logos featured the initials “RSK” (Rize Spor Kulübü) with the colors green and yellow, representing two of the area’s most well-known products: tea and citrus. Later designs replaced the initials with the full name “Rizespor” and adopted the green and blue color scheme.

A key element that has remained in every version of the crest is the tea leaf, which symbolizes the region’s deep ties to tea production. Over time, the design of the crest became more modern and simple, with cleaner lines and updated fonts. After the club merged with Çaykur, the name was changed to “Çaykur Rizespor Kulübü”, and this was reflected in the crest. The tea leaf became more stylized, and red lettering was added to give the design a fresh and recognizable look.

Despite changes in design over the years, the core identity of the crest—the tea leaf and the green-blue color combination—has stayed the same, showing Rizespor’s strong link to the culture, nature, and people of Rize.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Achievements

Honours

• 1. Lig (second tier)

  • Champions: 1978–79, 1984–85, 2017–18
  • Play-off winners: 1999–2000
  • Runners-up: 2002–03, 2012–13, 2022–23

• 2. Lig (third tier)

  • Champions: 1993–94
  • Runners-up: 1973–74

• Turkish Cup

  • Semi-finals: 2002–03, 2007–08, 2015–16
  • Quarter-finals: 1986–87, 2003–04

League participation

• Süper Lig :1979–81, 1985–89, 2000–02, 2003–08, 2013–17, 2018–22, 2023–

• TFF 1. Lig :1974–79, 1981–85, 1989–93, 1994–00, 2002–03, 2008–13, 2017–18, 2022–23

• TFF 2. Lig :1968–74, 1993–94

Past Season Performances

Players

Current squad

– Do NOT add new players before their signing is officially announced by the club through their website, including medical and signing the contract. A transfer fee agreed doesn't mean the player will sign. – Do NOT remove players before their exit is officially announced by the club. – Do NOT add or change squad numbers until it is official on the Çaykur Rizespor website – Only add numberless players that are likely to become part of the first team – Pre-season numbers can be added temporarily with A REFERENCE – This is Wikipedia, not a football newspaper. Anything unconfirmed and unsourced will be removed on sight

Out on loan

Non-playing staff

Administrative Staff

Source:

Technical Staff

Source:

Coaching history

Presidential history

References

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2. "Çaykur Didi Stadyumu".
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5. "Şark İdman Ocağı’nın kuruluşu (25 Haziran 1923)".
6. "Rize derbileri: 7 Kasım 1923 tarihli maç haberi".
7. "Rize’de ilk derbiler ve kulüpler arası rekabet (1920’ler)".
8. "Rizespor’un kökleri: şehir kulüplerinden profesyonelliğe".
9. "Rize’de ilk futbol kulüpleri ve komşu illere yapılan maç seyahatleri".
10. "Şark İdman Ocağı–Rize İdman Yurdu karşılaşmaları (basın arşivi)".
11. "Rize’de beden eğitimi ve sporun öncüleri".
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13. "Kulüp tarihçesi".
14. "Rizespor’da profesyonelliğe geçiş ve mavi-yeşil renklerin kabulü (1968)".
15. "Rizespor’a hükmen yenilgi ve iki puan silme; Tarsus İY yükseldi". Milliyet Arşiv.
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17. "1978–79 sezonu şampiyonları ve terfiler".
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35. "Karadeniz derbisi nefes kesti". NTV Spor.
36. "Doğu Karadeniz derbisi: Giresunspor–Çaykur Rizespor". Hürriyet.
37. "Giresun–Rize rekabeti yeniden sahnede". Fanatik.
38. "Karadeniz hattında başka bir derbi: Samsunspor–Rizespor". Milliyet.
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40. "Rize Atatürk Stadı tarihe karışıyor". Hürriyet.
41. "Rize Atatürk Stadı yıkılıyor, yerine millet bahçesi". Sözcü.
42. "Yeni Rize Şehir Stadı açıldı; açılışta Fenerbahçe maçı". NTV Spor.
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44. "Rize City Stadium (Çaykur Didi Stadium)".
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53. (27 February 2015). "Rizespor’dan altyapı ve amatör branş atağı". İhlas Haber Ajansı.
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55. "Çaykur Rizespor Derneği: Çok branşlı model ve finansman yapısı".