Caykur 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.

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.

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.

In the 2020–21 season, under the management of Stjepan Tomas, Çaykur Rizespor parted ways with Tomas after 19 weeks. He was replaced by Marius Şumudică, who mutually terminated his contract after three draws and four losses. 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.

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. 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.