Çaykur Rizespor
Turkish football club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Çaykur Rizespor Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club based in Rize, a city on the eastern Black Sea coast. The team competes in the Süper Lig, the top tier of Turkish football. The club was originally founded on 19 May 1953, with its initial colors being green and yellow, representing the region’s connection to tea and citrus farming. Later the colors changed to green and blue.
(The Black Sea Sparrowhawk)
 | ||||
| Full name | Çaykur Rize Gençlik ve Spor Kulübü Derneği[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Karadeniz Atmacası (The Black Sea Sparrowhawk) | |||
| Short name | Rizespor | |||
| Founded | 19 May 1953 | |||
| Ground | Rize City Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 15,558 | |||
| Owner | Çaykur | |||
| Chairman | İbrahim Turgut | |||
| Head coach | Recep Uçar | |||
| League | Süper Lig | |||
| 2024–25 | Süper Lig, 9th of 19 | |||
| Website | caykurrizespor.org.tr | |||
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In 1968, Rizespor merged with two other local clubs, Fener Gençlik and Güneşspor, leading to a reorganization of the club and the adoption of green and blue as its official colors—green representing the hills of Rize and blue symbolizing the Black Sea. The club has maintained these colors ever since.
Since 1990, Rizespor has been sponsored by the Turkish state-owned tea company Çaykur, leading to the official name change to Çaykur Rizespor Kulübü. This partnership also influenced the club’s visual identity, with a tea leaf becoming the central element of the club’s crest.
Çaykur Rizespor plays its home matches at Rize City Stadium, a newer facility located near the coast.[2]
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.[3][4]
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.[5]
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.[6][7] These community teams laid the organisational and cultural groundwork from which the city’s later professional structure and ultimately Çaykur Rizespor emerged.[8]
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.[9][10]
Beyond football, both associations promoted gymnastics and general physical education; prominent organisers included Suphi Bey, who devoted particular energy to this branch.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15][16] 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.[17]
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”.[18]
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).[19][20] They remained at the top level through 2003–04, but dropped again at the end of 2007–08.[21]
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.[22] Relegation followed in 2016–17,[23] but Rizespor immediately won the 2017–18 First League title and returned once more to the top flight.[24]
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.[25][26] Relegation came in 2021–22 after a 17th-place finish,[27] but the team finished second in 2022–23 to win immediate promotion.[28]
On 13 June 2023 the club appointed İlhan Palut as head coach after the departure of Bülent Korkmaz.[29] 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.[30] 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.[31]
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.[32]
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.[33][34][35]
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.[36][37]
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.[38][39]
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.[40][41]
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.[42][43] 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.[44][45]
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.[46]
Supporters
Rizespor supporters are commonly known as the Atmacalar (“Hawks”), a nickname that reflects the club crescent. 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)
League participation
- 1979–81, 1985–89, 2000–02, 2003–08, 2013–17, 2018–22, 2023–
- 1974–79, 1981–85, 1989–93, 1994–00, 2002–03, 2008–13, 2017–18, 2022–23
- 1968–74, 1993–94
Past Season Performances
| Season | League | Pos. | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–68: Competed in the Amateur League during these seasons. | ||||||||||
| 1968–69 | 2. Lig | 3rd | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 38 | 16 | 52 | - |
| 1969–70 | 6th | 40 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 36 | 63 | ||
| 1970–71 | 3rd | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 14 | 57 | ||
| 1971–72 | 2nd | 28 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 47 | 17 | 58 | ||
| 1972–73 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 11 | 52 | |||
| 1973–74 | 40 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 74 | 23 | 80 | |||
| 1974–75 | 1. Lig | 10th | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 28 | 41 | 40 | |
| 1975–76 | 4th | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 30 | 22 | 44 | 2nd Round | |
| 1976–77 | 5th | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 25 | 41 | 1st Round | |
| 1977–78 | 2nd | 30 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 46 | 15 | 67 | Last 16 | |
| 1978–79 | 1st | 29 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 40 | 15 | 56 | Last 32 | |
| 1979–80 | Süper Lig | 5th | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 37 | 34 | 46 | |
| 1980–81 | 14th | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 35 | 42 | 40 | ||
| 1981–82 | 1. Lig | 2nd | 28 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 43 | 16 | 51 | 2nd Round |
| 1982–83 | 4th | 30 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 32 | 47 | ||
| 1983–84 | 6th | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 25 | 28 | 41 | Last 32 | |
| 1984–85 | 1st | 32 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 42 | 13 | 67 | 1st Round | |
| 1985–86 | Süper Lig | 15th | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 28 | 40 | 43 | Last 32 |
| 1986–87 | 13th | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 37 | 57 | 46 | Quarter-finals | |
| 1987–88 | 16th | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 37 | 56 | 46 | 3rd Round | |
| 1988–89 | 17th | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 36 | 65 | 35 | ||
| 1989–90 | 1. Lig | 3rd | 32 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 56 | 53 | 47 | Last 16 |
| 1990–91 | 7th | 34 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 48 | 45 | 44 | 2nd Round | |
| 1991–92 | 10th | 34 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 43 | 37 | 45 | ||
| 1992–93 | 11th | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 42 | 59 | 41 | 1st Round | |
| 1993–94 | 2. Lig | 1st | 24 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 51 | 8 | 57 | |
| 1994–95 | 1. Lig | 8th | 32 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 37 | 32 | 41 | 2nd Round |
| 1995–96 | 3rd | 35 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 32 | 39 | 46 | ||
| 1996–97 | 9th | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 35 | 36 | 49 | ||
| 1997–98 | 8th | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 37 | 54 | 49 | ||
| 1998–99 | 5th | 39 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 73 | 49 | 71 | 4th Round | |
| 1999–2000 | 3rd | 39 | 25 | 4 | 10 | 75 | 41 | 79 | 3rd Round | |
| 2000–01 | Süper Lig | 9th | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 45 | 43 | 46 | Last 16 |
| 2001–02 | 16th | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 43 | 51 | 46 | ||
| 2002–03 | 1. Lig | 2nd | 34 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 63 | 31 | 66 | Semi-finals |
| 2003–04 | Süper Lig | 14th | 34 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 37 | 53 | 42 | Quarter-finals |
| 2004–05 | 10th | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 36 | 37 | 43 | 3rd Round | |
| 2005–06 | 9th | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 35 | 44 | 41 | 2nd Round | |
| 2006–07 | 15th | 34 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 34 | 40 | 40 | Group stage | |
| 2007–08 | 17th | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 64 | 29 | Semi-finals | |
| 2008–09 | 1. Lig | 9th | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 39 | 44 | 47 | 2nd Round |
| 2009–10 | 15th | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 37 | 53 | 40 | 3rd Round | |
| 2010–11 | 4th | 36 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 39 | 31 | 55 | 2nd Round | |
| 2011–12 | 3rd | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 53 | 48 | 59 | Last 16 | |
| 2012–13 | 2nd | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 53 | 35 | 59 | 2nd Round | |
| 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 13th | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 3rd Round |
| 2014–15 | 14th | 34 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 55 | 36 | Last 16 | |
| 2015–16 | 13th | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 48 | 37 | Semi-finals | |
| 2016–17 | 16th | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 44 | 53 | 36 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2017–18 | 1. Lig | 1st | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 68 | 38 | 69 | 4th Round |
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 11th | 34 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 48 | 50 | 41 | 5th Round |
| 2019–20 | 15th | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 38 | 57 | 35 | Last 16 | |
| 2020–21 | 13th | 40 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 53 | 69 | 48 | ||
| 2021–22 | 17th | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 44 | 71 | 36 | 4th Round | |
| 2022–23 | 1. Lig | 2nd | 36 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 64 | 35 | 68 | Last 16 |
| 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 9th | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 48 | 58 | 50 | 5th Round |
Players
Current squad
- As of 6 February 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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.
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Non-playing staff
Administrative Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  İbrahim Turgut |
| Vice Chairman | Adnan Er |
| Deputy Chairman | Ali Haydar Er |
| Treasurer | Ahmet Dokumacı |
| Member | Fatih Bakoğlu |
| Member | Yusuf Ziya Alim |
| Member | Serkan Karavin |
| Member | Devrim Orkun Kalkavan |
| Press Spokesperson | Hasan Yavuz Bakır |
| Stadium Manager | Ahmet Yılmaz Zehiroğlu |
Source: [48]
Technical Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Recep Uçar |
| Assistant coach | Fevzi Korkmaz |
| Assistant coach |  Ekrem Dağ |
| Goalkeeping coach | Ferhat Odabaşı |
| Goalkeeping coach | Hakan Türüt |
| Athletic coach | Can Emre Kaplanoğlu |
| Athletic coach | Enes Kalender |
| Match analyst | Oğuzhan Arslan |
| Match analyst | Kerim Atakan Kart |
| Head of Academy | İsmail Demirci |
| Club doctor | Muhammet Hakan Ayaz |
Source: [49]
Coaching history
| Tenure | Name |
|---|---|
| 1968–69 | Şenol Birol |
| 1969–70 | Ahmet Şamlıoğlu |
| 1970–72 | Münacettin Barut |
| 1972–74 | Gazanfer Olcayto |
| 1974–75 | Turgut Kafkas |
| 1975–76 | Suat Mamat |
| 1976–77 | Tekin Yolaç |
| 1977 | İlhan Uralgil |
| 1977–78 | Erdoğan Gürhan |
| 1978–79 | Gürsel Aksel |
| 1979–80 | Zeynel Soyuer |
| 1980–81 | Cevdet Soyluoğlu |
| 1981 | Halil Güngördü |
| 1981–82 | Turgut Kafkas |
| 1982–83 | Tezcan Uzcan |
| 1983–84 | Suphi Varol |
| 1984–85 | Cesarettin Alptekin |
| 1985–86 | Enver Katip |
| 1986–87 | Nedim Günar |
| 1987–88 | Fethi Demican |
| 1988 | Davut Şahin |
| 1988–89 |  Adolf Remy |
| 1989–90 | Cesarettin Alptekin |
| 1990–92 | Enver Katip |
| 1992–93 | Numan Zafer Kanburoğlu |
| 1993–95 | Giray Bulak |
| 1995–96 | Kadir Özcan |
| 1996–97 | Ömer Kaner |
| 1997 | Ali Kemal Denizci |
| 1997–98 | Yaşar Elmas |
| 1998–99 | Celal Kıbrızlı |
| 1999 | Hikmet Karaman |
| 1999–00 | Cem Pamiroğlu |
| 2000 | Rasim Kara |
| 2000–02 |  Karol Pecze |
| 2002–03 | Fuat Yaman |
| 2003 | Hikmet Karaman |
| 2003–04 | Yılmaz Vural |
| 2004–05 | Rıza Çalımbay |
| 2005 | Erdoğan Arıca |
| 2005 | Metin Yıldız |
| 2005 | Sakıp Özberk |
| 2005–06 | Güvenç Kurtar |
| 2006 |  Safet Sušić |
| 2006–07 | Rıza Çalımbay |
| 2007 | Samet Aybaba |
| 2007–08 | Safet Sušić |
| 2008 | Erdoğan Arıca |
| 2008 | Metin Diyadin |
| 2008–09 | Suat Kaya |
| 2009 | Raşit Çetiner |
| 2009 | Oktay Çevik |
| 2009–10 | Mehmet Şansal |
| 2010 | Ümit Kayıhan |
| 2010–12 | Hüseyin Kalpar |
| 2012 | Giray Bulak |
| 2012 | Engin Korukır |
| 2012–13 | Mustafa Denizli |
| 2013 | Rıza Çalımbay |
| 2014 | Uğur Tütüneker |
| 2014 | Mehmet Özdilek |
| 2014–17 | Hikmet Karaman |
| 2017–18 | İbrahim Üzülmez |
| 2018–19 | Okan Buruk |
| 2019 | İsmail Kartal |
| 2020 | Ünal Karaman |
| 2020–21 |  Stjepan Tomas |
| 2021 |  Marius Şumudică |
| 2021–22 | Bülent Uygun |
| 2022 | Hamza Hamzaoğlu |
| 2022–23 | Bülent Korkmaz |
| 2023–25 | İlhan Palut |
| 2025– | Recep Uçar |
Presidential history
- As of 4 November 2021[50]
| Tenure | Name |
|---|---|
| 1968–1973 | Bahattin Coşkun |
| 1973–1975 | Reşat Uçak |
| 1975–1978 | Mustafa Rakıcıoğlu |
| 1978 | Köksal Mataracı |
| 1978–1980 | Nuri Akbulut |
| 1980–1981 | Paşa Ali Alaman |
| 1981 | Nuri Akbulut |
| 1981–1983 | Ali Rıza Feyiz |
| 1984 | Hasan Yardımcı |
| 1985 | Fehmi Ekşi |
| 1986 | Servet Takış |
| 1987–1988 | Mehmet Yılmaz |
| 1988–1989 | Şadan Tuzcu |
| 1989 | Şeref Keçeli |
| 1989–1990 | Ahmet Akyıldız |
| 1990 | Muharrem Kürkçü |
| 1990 | Hamit Oral |
| 1990–1991 | Hasan Basri Çillioğlu |
| 1991–1992 | Nejat Ural |
| 1992 | Süreyya Turgut |
| 1992–1995 | Tuncer Ergüven |
| 1995 | Ruşen Kukul |
| 1995 | Tuncer Ergüven |
| 1995–1996 | İsmail Topçu |
| 1996 | Ali Baba Çillioğlu |
| 1996 | Cemal Aydoğdu |
| 1996–1997 | Mehmet Cengiz |
| 1997–1998 | Mehmet Aslankaya |
| 1998–2002 | Mehmet Cengiz |
| 2002–2007 | Ekrem Cengiz |
| 2007–2009 | Abdülkadir Çakır |
| 2009–2010 | Halim Mete |
| 2010–2017 | Metin Kalkavan |
| 2017–2018 | Hasan Kemal Yardımcı |
| 2018–2021 | Hasan Kartal |
| 2021–2022 | Tahir Kıran |
| 2022– | İbrahim Turgut |
Multi-sport structure and community programmes
In February 2015 the club announced that it would operate as a multi-branch sports organisation attached to the Çaykur Rizespor association, adding women’s football and 19 additional amateur and semi-professional sections to its structure as part of a broader community strategy.[51][52]
The programme formally opened or revived teams in basketball, handball, volleyball, athletics, rowing, swimming, wrestling, judo, boxing, table tennis, badminton, tennis, sailing, canoeing, mountaineering, cycling and selected school-age indoor sports, alongside community fitness classes and girls’ football schools in the city and districts.[53]
Within the same framework the club expanded its youth-academy network through cooperation protocols with local education authorities and municipal sports directorates, prioritising talent identification in Rize’s coastal and highland towns and offering coaching-education seminars to PE teachers.[54] The multi-sport structure is overseen by the club association rather than the professional football company and is financed through a combination of municipal support, federation grants and club sponsorship income, with the stated aim of broadening participation and creating a pathway from school sport to elite teams representing the province in national leagues.[55]
