Kayserispor

Turkish football club From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kayserispor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, is a Turkish professional football club based in the city of Kayseri. Founded on 1 July 1966, the club currently competes in the TFF 1. Lig, the second tier of Turkish football. Kayserispor plays its home matches at the Kadir Has Stadium, which has a capacity of 31,856 all-seated spectators.[3] The club's official colours are red and yellow.[4]

Full nameKayserispor Futbol A.Ş.[1][2]
NicknameAnadolu Yıldızı (Anatolian Star)
Founded1 July 1966; 60 years ago (1966-07-01)
Quick facts Full name, Nickname ...
Kayserispor
Full nameKayserispor Futbol A.Ş.[1][2]
NicknameAnadolu Yıldızı (Anatolian Star)
Founded1 July 1966; 60 years ago (1966-07-01)
GroundKadir Has Stadium[1]
Capacity31,856[1]
Coordinates38°44′14″N 35°25′23″E
ChairmanAli Çamlı[1]
Head coachAtila Gerin
LeagueTFF 1. Lig
2025–26Süper Lig, 17th of 18 (relegated)
Websitekayserispor.org.tr
Current season
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Kayserispor has enjoyed domestic and international success over its history. The club won its first major trophy by claiming the Turkish Cup in 2008, defeating Gençlerbirliği in the final on penalties.[5] That same year, they also finished as runners-up in the Turkish Super Cup. The team’s best league finishes have been fifth place in four separate seasons: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, and 2012–13.[6]

Kayserispor made its European debut in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and became one of the eleven co-winners, which granted them a spot in the UEFA Cup.[7] Their most notable European fixtures included ties against AZ Alkmaar in 2006 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2008.[8][9]

History

Origins and first years

Football in Kayseri had several amateur clubs by the 1930s; among them Erciyes Gençlik (est. 1937) and Erciyesspor are repeatedly mentioned in local historical publications.[10][11]

In the mid-1960s, Orhan Şeref Apak’s Turkish Football Federation (TFF) policy aimed to spread professional football to Anatolia and organise a nationwide second tier.[12] Following local meetings in Kayseri, representatives agreed to merge Erciyesspor, Sanayispor and Ortaanadoluspor under the Kayserispor name. The club held its general assembly and was officially founded on 1 July 1966.[13][14]

Kayserispor entered the newly created 2.Lig in 1966–67. The first manager was Erdoğan Gürhan.[15] Contemporary retrospectives record that the first official match was played in Kayseri against Ankara Toprakspor, with Yener Kurgil scoring in the 17th minute—considered the first goal in club history.[16][17] Kayserispor finished its debut season 10th in the 2.Lig (Beyaz Grup), with a 9W–9D–12L record.[18]

Following the late-1980s restructure, the police-affiliated side in the city competed as Kayseri Emniyetspor. After the General Directorate of Security moved to withdraw police teams from national leagues, a civilian board took over and the club adopted the Kayseri Erciyesspor name.[19][20]

Across the 1990s the team operated under municipal ownership with successive name changes documented in federation records: Büyükşehir Belediye Erciyesspor (1992–96), Melikgazi Belediyesi Erciyesspor (1997–99) and Hacılar Erciyesspor (1999–2001).[21][22][23] Hacılar Erciyesspor won Group 3 of the 3. Lig in 1999–2000 and moved up to the 2. Lig.[24] They later secured promotion positions from the 2003–04 2. Lig (Category A), earning a place in the top flight.[25]

On 9 July 2004, a general assembly in Kayseri approved the switch of name, badge and colors: the promoted Erciyesspor took the Kayserispor identity, while the other side continued as Kayseri Erciyesspor.[26] Early in that first season, manager Hüsnü Özkara departed after seven league matches and Hikmet Karaman took over; the team avoided relegation with a 14th-place finish.[27]

European debut and first major trophy

Under Ertuğrul Sağlam, Kayserispor finished fifth in the 2005–06 Süper Lig, while striker Gökhan Ünal won the league’s top-scorer award with 25 goals in 32 matches.[28][29]

The club entered the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006, defeating Sopron and AEL to become one of the competition’s eleven “joint winners”, which qualified them for the UEFA Cup. In the UEFA Cup they beat Tirana in the second qualifying round and were eliminated by AZ in the first round (3–4 aggregate).[30]

Kayserispor placed fifth again in 2006–07. Sağlam then left to manage Beşiktaş in June 2007, and Tolunay Kafkas was appointed.[31][32] Under Kafkas, Kayserispor earned a third straight fifth-place league finish and won the 2008 Turkish Cup, defeating Gençlerbirliği on penalties in the final.[33]

Robert Prosinečki was appointed head coach on 15 October 2012; Kayserispor finished fifth in 2012–13 before being relegated the following season.[34] Kayserispor returned immediately as champions of the 2014–15 TFF First League, clinching the title with a 3–0 win away to Elazığspor.[35][36]

2019–present: New leadership and recent seasons

At the end of 2019, board member Berna Gözbaşı was elected club president, becoming the first woman to lead a men’s top-flight club in Turkey.[37][38]

In the 2021–22 season the club introduced a light-blue third kit featuring Seljuk motifs and an “Autism Awareness” mark, presented as a community-awareness design by the club, in accordance with corporate social responsibility (CSR).[39][40] The team reached the final of the 2021–22 Turkish Cup, losing 3–2 after extra time to Sivasspor at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.[41]

Following a general assembly in December 2022, Ali Çamlı became club president; he was re-elected in June 2024 and again in September 2024.[42][43][44] On the pitch, Kayserispor finished 9th in 2022–23 and reached the Turkish Cup quarter-finals.[45] In 2023–24 the club placed 14th.[46]

There were several coaching changes across these seasons: Recep Uçar was appointed in September 2023, followed by Burak Yılmaz on a two-and-a-half-year contract in January 2024; Yılmaz resigned in September 2024. Sinan Kaloğlu took charge in October 2024, and in January 2025 Sergej Jakirović was appointed head coach on a 1.5-year deal.[47][48][49][50][51] Under Jakirović, Kayserispor put together an unbeaten run in early 2025 and climbed clear of the bottom places.[52][53]

Keeping the club clear of relegation at the end of the 2024–25 season, Jakirović's additional one year option contract was exercised. Days later Hull City announced him as their new head coach on a two-year deal.[54][55] Kayserispor then reached a deal with German coach Markus Gisdol and completed a two-year contract following an official signing ceremony on 22 June 2025 [56][57][58]

During the start of the 2025-26, Gisdol is sacked by the club because of a poor run making it 4 draws and 4 defeats for the club, after being sacked on 7 October, Radomir Đalović has become the new manager who previously made HNK Rijeka champions of the Croatian Football League in the 2024-25 season whereas he also coached NK Maribor but shortly resigned. Erling Moe has become the new head coach as of late February 2026. The Anatolian side relegated from the Süper Lig at the end of the 2025-26 season, finishing 17th.

Stadium

Prior to moving to Kadir Has Stadium in 2009, Kayserispor played at the centrally located Kayseri Atatürk Stadium (opened 1960; demolished in January 2009).[59][60] The club’s first European home fixtures were staged there, including the 2006–07 UEFA Cup first-round tie against AZ Alkmaar (1–1 in Kayseri) and the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round versus Paris Saint-Germain (1–2 in Kayseri, 0–0 in Paris).[61][62][63]

Kadir Has Stadium is a multi-purpose venue in Melikgazi, Kayseri, and the home ground of Kayserispor. It opened on 8 March 2009 with the Süper Lig match Kayserispor–Fenerbahçe.[64][65] The all-seater capacity is 31,856 and the stands are fully covered.[66] The ground forms part of the Atatürk Sports Complex on the city’s western approach. The municipal description and national team match booklet note that the Kayseray light-rail corridor runs by the stadium, providing access from the city centre.[67][68]

In 2022, RHG Enertürk Enerji acquired the venue’s naming rights, with the stadium marketed as the RHG Enertürk Enerji Stadium till the end of the 2025-26 season.[69] The stadium has hosted Turkey internationals, including a 4–2 win over the Estonia in a 2010 World Cup qualifier on 5 September 2009.[70][71] Kayserispor’s first-team and academy activities are centred at the Recep Mamur (Karpuzatan) training facilities in Kocasinan.[72][73]

Colors and crest

The crest shows Mount Erciyes above a two-part shield; the letters “K” and “S” sit on the red and yellow halves, and the founding year “1966” appears at the base, as specified in the club’s 2024 corporate identity guide.[74][75] Mount Erciyes is widely used as a symbol of Kayseri, which explains its prominence on the badge.[76] The club’s official colours are red and yellow. The corporate guide defines the palette (e.g., Pantone 187 C for red; Pantone 1235 C for yellow) and supporting crest tones (sky blue and navy for Erciyes, plus grey/black outlines).[77]

Colour change with Kayseri Erciyesspor (2004–05)

On 9 July 2004, following Kayseri Erciyesspor’s promotion, the two city clubs held general assemblies and swapped the Süper Lig berth under the Kayserispor name.[78] Contemporary reporting notes that the name, badge and colours were interchanged in that process.[79] The following season, Kayseri Erciyesspor formally changed its kit colours from red–yellow to blue–black (with white as secondary), confirming the split identity thereafter.[80]

Rivalry

Kayserispor holds one of the most intense rivalries in Turkish football with Sivasspor, which began after a tragic match in 1967 that led to 43 fatalities, an event widely regarded as the worst stadium disaster in Turkish football history.[81]

The rivalry between Kayserispor and Sivasspor stems from regional proximity, cultural identity, and longstanding competition between the cities of Kayseri and Sivas in Central Anatolia. It intensified sharply following their first professional meeting on 17 September 1967 in a Second Division (White Group) match at the Kayseri Atatürk Stadium. The game was abandoned amid serious crowd trouble; 43 people died and hundreds were injured. Turkish national outlets and the federation’s record describe the day as one of Turkish football’s darkest.[82][83]

Contemporary reports and later research recount that tension escalated after a 20th-minute goal by Oktay Aktan for Kayserispor; stone-throwing between sections followed, fans fleeing the violence in panic caused a stampede in front of the stand exits. As the exit gates opened inward, many fans died because they were crushed and suffocated.[84][85] The incident has been the subject of a dedicated book that drew on press archives and eyewitness interviews.[86]

In the immediate aftermath, authorities halted the competition and issued disciplinary measures. Sources from the period note forfeit rulings and ground-closure sanctions, and officials in both provinces faced administrative consequences; the football authorities also avoided placing the two clubs in the same league group for years.[87][88]

The rivalry remains one of central Anatolia’s most charged fixtures and has also appeared on the national stage: the clubs met in the 2022 Turkish Cup final at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, with Sivasspor winning in extra time.[89][90] An annual commemoration is held in Sivas on 17 September for those who died in 1967.[91]

Supporters

Kayserispor has a supporter base primarily from the city of Kayseri and the surrounding Central Anatolia region. The club’s main organized supporter group is Kapalı Kale (literally “Closed End”), founded in 2005 and named after the stand in the former Kayseri Atatürk Stadium. The group is active on matchdays and is known for displaying flags and leading chants in the stadium.

Kayserispor supporters traditionally occupy the eastern stands of the Kadir Has Stadium, where drums, megaphones, and choreographed tifos are coordinated by the main groups. In high-profile derbies, especially against Sivasspor or Kayseri Erciyesspor (when active), fan presence typically fills the entire lower tier.[92] Kayserispor fans are known for their loyalty during difficult periods. During the 2023–24 season—despite multiple managerial changes and relegation fears—the average attendance remained over 9,000 per match.[93]

The club and its supporters have also engaged in charitable initiatives. Kapalı Kale and other fan groups helped coordinate donations and logistics during the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, using club facilities as aid centers.[94] Kayserispor does not currently have an official fan club abroad, but diaspora communities in Germany and Netherlands have organized viewing groups and social media communities that follow the club closely.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

[95][96]

More information Period, Kit manufacturer ...
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt main sponsor
2004-2005 Puma Turkcell[97]
2005-2010 Adidas
2010-2011 Aksa[98]
2011-2012 Spor Toto[99]
2012-2014 none[100]
2014-2015 Ferre[101]
2015-2017 İstikbal[102][103][104][105][106][107][108]
2017-2025 Nike[109]
2025- Adidas[110]
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Naming rights

Due to commercial sponsorship agreements, the club has operated under various names in competition. As of January 2019 the club's name was altered into İstikbal Mobilya Kayserispor .[111] In January 2020 the club's name was revised into HES Kablo Kayserispor.[112] As of August 2021 the name was changed into Yukatel Kayserispor.[113] Kayserispor participated as Mondihome Kayserispor during the 2023–24 season.[114] Bellona sponsored the club for the 2024–25 season, hence the name Bellona Kayserispor.[115][116] In August 2025 former Crawley Town and Kayseri Erciyesspor chairman Ziya Eren and his enterprise sealed a one year sponsordeal, naming the club Zecorner Kayserispor.[117] The club will be addressed as Metro Holding Kayserispor starting July 2026.[118]

Honours

Domestic competitions

  • 1. Lig (second tier)
  • 2. Lig (third tier)
    • Winners (1): 1999–00

Cups

European competitions

Statistics

Results of League and Cup Competitions by Season

More information Season, League table ...
Season League table Turkish Cup UEFA Top scorer
League Pos PWDLGFGAGD Pts Player Goals
1966–67 1. Lig 10th3099122123−227N/A. DNQ N/A. N/A.
1967–68 15th381013152127−632
1968–69 9th341014103241−934
1969–70 7th30118113125+630
1970–71 7th 30 137102418+633
1971–72 4th 30101282117+432
1972–73 1st 30141152913+1639
1973–74 Süper Lig11th 30811111824−627
1974–75 16th 30412141538−2320
1975–76 1. Lig2nd 30155104019+2135
1976–77 2nd 3220845128+2348
1977–78 5th 32148103721+1636
1978–79 2nd 3019566322+4143
1979–80 Süper Lig 15th 30613111928−925
1980–81 1. Lig5th34159104026+1439
1981–82 2nd2820536017+4345
1982–83 3rd30141154419+2539
1983–84 5th 30119103024+631
1984–85 1st 3016864229+1340
1985–86 Süper Lig 19th 36411212767−4019
1986–87 1. Lig3rd3218685224+2842
1987–88 7th 341310114840+849
1988–89 2. Lig12th 34911143844−638
1990–91 9th 34 11 9 14 39 51 −12 42 R1
1991–92 8th 34 13 7 14 50 43 +7 46 R1
1992–93 2nd 30 18 7 5 64 37 +27 61 R1 Mehmet Aşık 11
1993–94 4th 24 12 2 10 34 34 0 38 R1 Zafer Tüzün 12
1994–95 7th 26 7 9 10 33 33 0 30 R2 Recep Umut 16
1995–96 8th 26 9 5 12 40 44 −4 32 R2 Temel Uğur Yiğit 10
1996–97 11th 34 13 4 17 46 65 −19 43 R1 N/A. N/A.
1997–98 3rd 32 19 8 5 56 22 +34 65 R2 Rasim Aykurt 19
1998–99 4th 32 18 9 5 58 27 +31 63 R1 N/A. N/A.
1999–00 1st 32 19 8 5 59 22 +37 65 R3 Selim Çatalbaş 14
2000–01 1. Lig 6th 36 19 4 13 73 47 +26 61 R2 Halim Karaköse 11
2001–02 18th 38 9 5 24 41 78 −37 32 R3 9
2002–03 1st 32 23 6 3 82 29 +53 75 R1 N/A. N/A.
2003–04 2nd 34 19 9 6 47 27 +20 66 R2 N/A. N/A.
2004–05 Süper Lig 14th 34 8 10 16 42 65 −23 34 QF Samuel Johnson 9
2005–06 5th 34 15 6 13 59 42 +17 51 QF Gökhan Ünal 32
2006–07 5th 34 13 12 9 54 43 +11 51 GS R1 20
2007–08 5th 34 15 10 9 50 31 +19 55 W DNQ 12
2008–09 7th 34 13 11 10 38 26 +12 50 GS R1 Mehmet Topuz 14
2009–10 8th 34 14 9 11 45 37 +8 51 PO DNQ Ariza Makukula 21
2010–11 6th 34149114644+2 51 PO Marcelo Zalayeta 8
2011–12 11th 34135164239+344 QF James Troisi 11
2012–13 5th 34157124845+352 R2 Bobô 18
2013–14 18th 3478193058−2829 R5 Mert Nobre 6
2014–15 1. Lig 1st 3421946124+3772 QF 16
2015–16 Süper Lig15th 34713142541−1634 L16 Sinan Bakış 8
2016–17 15th 34 108164758−1138 QF Welliton 15
2017–18 9th 34128144455−1144 QF Umut Bulut 14
2018–19 10th 341011133550−1541 L16 Tjaronn Chery 10
2019–20 17th 3488184072−3232 L16 Pedro Henrique 10
2020–21 17th 40914173552−1741 R4 İlhan Parlak 9
2021–22 14th381211155461−747 RU Mame Thiam 11
2022–23 9th36155165561−650 QF 8
2023–24 14th381112154457−1345 R5 12
2024–25 13th 38129174557−1245 R3 Duckens Nazon 9
2025–26 17th 38612162762−3530 R4 German Onugkha 8
2026–27 1. Lig TBD
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League participations

  • Süper Lig: 1973–74, 1979–80, 1985–86, 2004–14, 2015–2026
  • 1. Lig: 1966–73, 1975–79, 1980–85, 1986–88, 2000–04, 2014–15, 2026–
  • 2. Lig: 1988–00

Kayserispor in Europe

Kayserispor qualified for European competition for the first time in their history in the 2006–07 season via the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In the first round, they faced Hungarian side FC Sopron, drawing 3–3 in the away leg before winning 1–0 in the return leg in Kayseri.[120][121] In the next round, Kayserispor faced Albanian champions KF Tirana. After winning 2–0 away, they defeated Tirana 3–1 in the home leg and progressed to the UEFA Cup.[122][123]

In the 2006–07 UEFA Cup second qualifying round, they were matched with Greek club AE Larissa. Kayserispor drew 0–0 in Greece and then won 2–0 in the return leg at home, becoming the first and only Turkish team to win the Intertoto Cup that season.[124][125] In the UEFA Cup first round, Kayserispor faced Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. After losing 3–2 away in the first leg, they drew 1–1 at home and were eliminated from the competition on aggregate.[126][127]

After winning the 2007–08 Turkish Cup, Kayserispor qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup and was drawn against French club Paris Saint-Germain. Kayserispor lost 2–1 at home and then held PSG to a goalless draw in Paris, but was eliminated on aggregate.[128][129]

In total, Kayserispor played 10 matches in European competition between 2006 and 2008, recording 4 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, scoring 15 goals and conceding 10.

Summary

More information Competition, P ...
Competition P W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Cup 6 2 2 2 9 7 +2
UEFA Intertoto Cup 4 2 2 0 6 3 +3
Total 10 4 4 2 15 10 +5
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Results

More information Season, Competition ...
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup R2 Hungary Sopron 1–0 3–3 4–3
R3 (JW) Greece AEL 2–0 0–0 2–0
2006–07 UEFA Cup 2QR Albania Tirana 3–1 2–0 5–1
R1 Netherlands AZ Alkmaar 1–1 2–3 3–4
2008–09 R1 France Paris Saint-Germain 1–2 0–0 1–2
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UEFA Ranking history

More information Season, Rank ...
Season Rank Points Ref.
2007176 Increase9.791[130]
2008159 Increase11.469[131]
2009161 Decrease8.445[132]
2010163 Decrease8.890[133]
2011167 Decrease9.010[134]
2012175 Decrease7.810[135]
2013178 Decrease7.900[136]
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As of 2013

Players

As of 9 August, 2026.[137] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...
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Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...
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Reserve and Academy players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...
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Non-playing staff

Administrative Staff

More information Position, Name ...
Position Name
ChairmanTurkey Ali Çamlı
Vice-chairmanTurkey Tufan Koç
Deputy chairmanTurkey Mustafa Gülsoy
General secretaryTurkey Hüseyin Beyhan
FinanceTurkey Ayten Öztürk Ünal
AdvertisingTurkey Yücel Şahin
Legal affairs & spokespersonTurkey Emir Akpınar
Protocol & representatıonTurkey Tevfik Kürtüncü
Academy supervisorTurkey Samet Sarıoğlu
Turkey Aydın Yergin
Stadium & supporter liaisonTurkey Süleyman Akın
Turkey Mehmet Yay
NGO relationsTurkey Şeyhi Odakır
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Source: [138]

Coaching staff

More information Position, Name ...
Position Name
Head coachTurkey Atila Gerin
Assistant coachTurkey Fikret Bağdemci
Turkey Kemal Dulda
Guinea-Bissau Aneximenes Pereira
AnalystTurkey Orkun Aydın
Goalkeeper coachTurkey Erdinç Kurt
Turkey Hamit Sayıcı
Athletic coachTurkey Mert Yağız Aykın
Turkey İlker Kıreker
Turkey Mustafa Cebel Torun
ScoutingTurkey Mustafa Altun
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Source: [139]

Further reading

  • Başaran, Kenan (2017). Sivas-Kayseri; Türkiye'nin büyük futbol faciası. İletişim Yayınları. ISBN 978-975-05-2270-3.
  • Cengiz, Mustafa (1998). Kayserispor Tarihi. Kayseri Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kültür Müdürlüğü.

References

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