Çaykur Rizespor

Rize İdman Yurdu was the first sports club founded in Rize, established by young locals still recovering from the aftermath of World War I. The club was officially formed on the first anniversary of the city’s liberation from Russian occupation. Its founding was largely inspired by Suphi Bey, who was stationed in Rize at the time, and İsmail Kentay, a senior security officer who would later become the Deputy Director of the Ankara Police. Other notable founders included Kalamozlu Ali Bey, Ali Kemal Kavrakoğlu, Memiş Kanburoğlu, Hamdi Tuzcuoğlu, Sadettin Türüt, Sabri Kolçak, Acente İbrahim, and Lazoğlu Ahmet Bey. Thanks to their collective efforts, a modest clubhouse consisting of two rooms was established next to the Rize Municipality building.

Rize İdman Yurdu was initially active in sports such as football and gymnastics. Additionally, the club founded a music branch, which would later form the foundation of the Rize City Band. The instruments used by the band were generously donated by Süleyman Sudi Sofuoğlu (also known as Kartal), a Member of Parliament representing Lazistan.{{Cite web |url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/Tarihce-9.html |title=Tarihçe |website=Çaykur Rizespor |access-date=28 December 2024}}

Şark İdman Ocağı began its activities on June 25, 1923, operating out of a building known as Barış Oteli. The club’s founding council included Ali Kemal Kavrakoğlu, Rıfkı Tuzcuoğlu, İshak Turnaoğlu, Hamdullah Şadoğlu, Hasan Biber, Riyazi Diren and Kamil Karadeniz.

The dynamic atmosphere of early sports culture in Rize is reflected in the statement: “The presence of two rival clubs in the city, despite the conservative mindset of the time, consistently attracted an ever-growing audience.” This sentiment captures the essence of Rizespor as it was 80 years ago, expressed in the authentic language of its era.

The matches frequently played between the two clubs were reminiscent of a hidden local derby in history. On 7 November 1923, an unforgettable match took place, where Şark İdman Ocağı secured a 1–0 victory. The referee for the match was Captain İsmet Bey, an officer of the 7th Regiment, who was stationed in Rize at the time.

In the early days of football in Rize, Şark İdman Ocağı and Rize İdman Yurdu played a significant role in shaping the sport’s rivalry within the region. It is evident that these two teams frequently challenged each other in competitive matches. Beyond local competition, the teams also organized trips to Trabzon and Samsun.

Additionally, apart from football, great emphasis was placed on gymnastics, with Suphi Bey being a notable figure who dedicated significant effort to this direction. Şark İdman Ocağı continued its sporting activities for about two years, while Rize İdman Yurdu underwent various stages of development and later became the foundation for Rize Fener Gençlik Kulübü.

The club, named Rizespor, was founded in Rize on 19 May 1953, the 34th anniversary of the Turkish War of Independence. It was established with the aim of “enhancing the physical and cultural abilities of youth and contributing to their development through education in this field.” The founding members were Yakup Temizel (a draper), Atıf Taviloğlu (a draper), Bilsel (a draper), Yaşar Tümbekçioğlu (a tax officer), and Muharrem Kürkçü (a draper). The club’s colors were chosen as “Yellow”, representing the oranges and lemons that were abundant in Rize at the time, and “Green”, symbolizing tea, which remains the emblem of Rize to this day. Yaşar Dömekçioğlu, one of the founding members, was selected as the first president.

From 1953 to 1968, during its 15-year amateur period, many local footballers wore the club’s jersey, including Ahmet Durmuş, Ali Durmuş (Milli Ali), Kenan Tiryaki, Mustafa Erol, İrfan Akaslan, Mahmut Salih Yavuz, Salih Kazancı, Ahmet Kemal Yavuz, Hamil Kazancı, Mustafa Veziroğlu, Yılmaz Özkan, Yılmaz Balta, Ahmet Fenci, Akif Fenci, Oktay Arayıcı, Abdullah Kıtır, Mustafa Kazdal, Abdullah Şeker, and Ömer Çakır.

In 1968, with changes to the club’s charter, Rizespor transitioned to professionalism through the merger of Rize Güneşspor, Rizegücü, and Fener Youth Sports Club, under the new colors of Blue-Green. They began their journey in the TFF 2. Lig, after narrowly missing promotion to the TFF 3. Lig following a controversial 3–0 forfeit defeat to Sivasspor. Additionally, 2 points were deducted, and instead of Rizespor, Tarsus İdman Yurdu was promoted to the TFF 2. Lig.

This 3–0 forfeit marked a significant moment in Turkish football history as the first penalty of its kind applied to Rizespor. After a brief period, they fell back to Amateur Leagues but returned to the TFF 2. Lig in the 1978–1979 season as champions, earning the right to play in the TFF 1. Lig for the first time.{{Cite web |url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/Tarihce-9.html |title=Tarihçe |website=Çaykur Rizespor |access-date=28 December 2024}}

On 9 February 1991, during an extraordinary general assembly, the club merged with Çaykur, the largest public organization in the Black Sea Region, and continued its activities in professional leagues under the name “Çaykur Rizespor Club.”

The club was relegated from the 2001–02 season, finishing in 16th place. However, it was promoted back to the Süper Lig after just one year. The club remained in the 2003–04 season without relegation until the 2007–08 season, when it was relegated, finishing in 17th place. In the following season, it competed in the TFF 1. Lig.

From 2008 to 2013, the team competed in the TFF 1. Lig, finishing the 2012–13 season in 2nd place and earning promotion back to the Süper Lig after a five-year absence. They competed in the 2016–17 season but were relegated to the TFF 1. Lig, finishing in 16th place. In the 2017–18 season, the club became champions and was promoted again to the 2018–19 season.

In February 2015, the club announced plans to engage in 20 additional sports disciplines, including basketball, handball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, mountaineering, rafting, swimming, gymnastics, athletics, judo, boxing, wrestling, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, cycling, and women’s football.{{Cite web |url=https://www.milliyet.com.tr/yerel-haberler/rize/caykur-rizespor-futbol-disinda-branslar-aciyor-10641764 |title=Çaykur Rizespor Futbol Dışında Branşlar Açıyor |website=Milliyet |access-date=28 December 2024}}

In the 2020–21 season, under the management of Stjepan Tomas, Çaykur Rizespor parted ways with Tomas after 19 weeks.{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716111529/https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/Haber/CAYKUR-RIZESPOR-BASIN-BULTENI-4753.html |title=Çaykur Rizespor Basın Bülteni |website=Web Archive |date=16 July 2020 |access-date=28 December 2024}} He was replaced by Marius Şumudică, who mutually terminated his contract after three draws and four losses.{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716111529/https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/Haber/CAYKUR-RIZESPOR-BASIN-BULTENI-4753.html |title=Çaykur Rizespor Basın Bülteni |website=Web Archive |date=16 July 2020 |access-date=28 December 2024}} Bülent Uygun then took over. The team finished the league in 13th place with 12 wins, 12 draws, and 16 losses, accumulating 48 points. In the 2020–21 Turkish Cup, they were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 1–0 loss to Beşiktaş.{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716111529/https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/Haber/CAYKUR-RIZESPOR-BASIN-BULTENI-4753.html |title=Çaykur Rizespor Basın Bülteni |website=Web Archive |date=16 July 2020 |access-date=28 December 2024}}

The 2021–22 season ended with the club finishing 17th and being relegated to the TFF 1. Lig. During the 2022–23 season, they finished 2nd and were promoted back to the Süper Lig after one year.

On 13 June 2023, After Bülent Korkmaz's contract with Çaykur Rizespor came to an end, the club decided to appoint İlhan Palut as their new coach.{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610074213/https://www.trtspor.com.tr/haber/futbol/spor-toto-super-lig/caykur-rizesporda-ilhan-palut-donemi-276233.html|title=Çaykur Rizespor'da İlhan Palut dönemi|website=TRT|language=Tr|access-date=13 June 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/Haber/ILHAN-PALUT-CAYKUR-RIZESPORDA-5606.html|title=İLHAN PALUT ÇAYKUR RİZESPOR’DA|website=Çaykur Rizespor|language=Tr|access-date=13 June 2023}} In his first season in charge, Palut led Rizespor to a 9th-place finish in the Süper Lig, with the team securing 14 wins, 8 draws, and 16 losses over 38 matches, finishing with 50 points and a goal difference of -10.

Çaykur Rizespor-Trabzonspor rivalry is also known as the Black Sea derby.{{Cite web |title=Karadeniz derbisi Çaykur Rizespor'un |url=https://www.trtspor.com.tr/haber/futbol/spor-toto-super-lig/karadeniz-derbisi-caykur-rizesporun-252031.html |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=www.trtspor.com.tr}} They are considered rivals due to their geographical proximity and their shared history of competing against each other in local and regional tournaments.

The club hosts their home games at Rize City Stadium since 2009–10 season.{{cite news|title=Çaykur Didi Stadyumu|trans-title=Çaykur Didi Stadium|url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/CAYKUR-Didi-Stadyumu-52.html|publisher=Çaykur Rizespor|date=|access-date=3 November 2021|language=Tr|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20211103221855/https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/CAYKUR-Didi-Stadyumu-52.html|archivedate=3 November 2021}} The opening game of the stadium was held on 12 August 2009, when Çaykur Rizespor hosted Fenerbahçe for an exhibition game.

Rotasızlar is a supporter group founded in 2006 by Ülkücü supporter Ali Yılmazoğlu in collaboration with Hakan Yıldırım. It is known for supporting Çaykur Rizespor with full energy for 90 minutes during both home and away matches. The group got its name from the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 seasons, when a group of veteran fans sat in different sections of the stadium every match. The sea-side stand behind the goal at the New Rize City Stadium is now the home of Rotasızlar. Their base is in the Askoroz district. On average, they attend matches with 800–900 supporters, with a minimum of 350–400 and sometimes more than 2,000.

Atmacalar was established in 2013 following the merger of two newly formed supporter groups, Göçebe and Derebeyler, under the leadership of Emre Genç and Osman Mete.

Founded in 1999, Mekansızlar is a supporter group that backs Çaykur Rizespor both at home and in away matches. Composed of experienced names from Rizespor’s supporter culture, the group usually stands behind the goal on the mountain side of the stadium. Mekansızlar is also known by their nickname: Dağdibi Cehennemi (“Hell of Dağdibi”).

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.

• TFF 1. Lig (second tier)
• Champions: 1978–79, 1984–85, 2017–18
• Play-off winners: 1999–2000
• Runners-up: 2002–03, 2012–13, 2022–23

• TFF 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

• 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

{{Updated|11 February 2025}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no= 1|pos=GK|nat=TUR|name=Tarık Çetin|other=3rd captain}}

{{Fs player|no= 2|pos=DF|nat=UZB|name=Husniddin Aliqulov}}

{{fs player|no= 3|pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Samet Akaydin}}

{{Fs player|no= 4|pos=DF|nat=HUN|name=Attila Mocsi}}

{{Fs player|no= 5|pos=DF|nat=DEN|name=Casper Højer|other=captain}}

{{Fs player|no= 6|pos=MF|nat=GRE|name=Giannis Papanikolaou}}

{{Fs player|no= 7|pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Abdülkadir Ömür|other=on loan from Hull City}}

{{Fs player|no= 8|pos=MF|nat=BIH|name=Dal Varešanović}}

{{Fs player|no= 9|pos=FW|nat=GAM|name=Ali Sowe|other=on loan from Rostov}}

{{Fs player|no=10|pos=FW|nat=NGA|name=Ibrahim Olawoyin}}

{{Fs player|no=15|pos=FW|nat=CZE|name=Václav Jurečka}}

{{Fs player|no=17|pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Emrecan Bulut}}

{{Fs player|no=18|pos=MF|nat=BIH|name=Muhamed Buljubašić}}

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{{Fs player|no=19|pos=FW|nat=ALG|name=Rachid Ghezzal}}

{{Fs player|no=20|pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Berkay Özcan|other=on loan from İstanbul Başakşehir}}

{{Fs player|no=27|pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Eray Korkmaz}}

{{Fs player|no=28|pos=FW|nat=NGA|name=Babajide David}}

{{Fs player|no=30|pos=GK|nat=CRO|name=Ivo Grbić|other=on loan from Sheffield United}}

{{Fs player|no=35|pos=GK|nat=TUR|name=Efe Doğan}}

{{Fs player|no=37|pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Muhammet Taha Şahin}}

{{Fs player|no=45|pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Ayberk Karapo|other=on loan from Manisa}}

{{Fs player|no=54|pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Mithat Pala|other=vice-captain}}

{{Fs player|no=77|pos=FW|nat=KOS|name=Altin Zeqiri}}

{{Fs player|no=95|pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Habil Özbakır}}

{{Fs player|no=97|pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Doğanay Avcı}}

{{Fs end}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=GK|nat=TUR|name=Zafer Görgen|other=to Bandırmaspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no=

|pos=GK|nat=TUR|name=Canberk Yurdakul|other=to Esenler Erokspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Seyfettin Anıl Yaşar

|other=to Esenler Erokspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Mustafa Şengül|other=to Erbaaspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Aziz Aksoy|other=to Fethiyespor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=DF|nat=TUR|name=Hüseyincan Kırıkcı|other=to Artvin Hopaspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Efe Geçim|other=to Bornova 1877 SK until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Ozan İsmail Koç|other=to Erbaaspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Eren Emre Aydın|other=to 1461 Trabzon FK until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=Emirhan Yılmaz|other=to Düzcespor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=MF|nat=FIN|name=Janne-Pekka Laine

|other=to Esenler Erokspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=FW|nat=SEN|name=Mame Mor Faye|other=to Esenler Erokspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Güvenç Usta|other=to Balıkesirspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Efe Tecimer|other=to Artvin Hopaspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Benhur Keser

|other=to Esenler Erokspor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no= |pos=FW|nat=TUR|name=Remzi Kolcuoğlu|other=to Çayelispor until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs end}}

Source: {{Cite web |url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/ASYonetimKurulu.html |title=Çaykur Rizespor Yönetim Kurulu |website=Çaykur Rizespor Official Website |access-date=28 December 2024}}

Source: {{Cite web |url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/Teknik-Kadro.html |title=Çaykur Rizespor Teknik Kadro |website=Çaykur Rizespor Official Website |access-date=28 December 2024}}

{{updated|4 November 2021}}{{cite news|title=Başkanlarımız|trans-title=Our Presidents|url=https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/Baskanlarimiz-108.html|publisher=Çaykur Rizespor|date=|access-date=4 November 2021|language=Tr|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20211103231302/https://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/icerik/Baskanlarimiz-108.html|archivedate=3 November 2021}}

{{reflist|2}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.caykurrizespor.org.tr/ Official website]
• [http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=535&kulupID=3631 Rizespor on TFF.org]
• [http://boatrentnearme.com Rizespor]

{{Çaykur Rizespor}}

{{Süper Lig}}

{{TFF First League}}

{{Turkish clubs in European football}}

{{Turkish Women's First Football League}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caykur Rizespor}}

Category:1953 establishments in Turkey

Category:Association football clubs established in 1953

Category:Football clubs in Turkey

Category:Sport in Rize

Category:Süper Lig clubs