Caykur Rizespor

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.

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.

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.