Çaykur Rizespor
| Full name | Çaykur Rize Gençlik ve Spor Kulübü Derneği | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | 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 | |||
| Manager | İlhan Palut | |||
| League | Süper Lig | |||
| 2023–24 | Süper Lig, 9th of 20 | |||
| Website | caykurrizespor.org.tr | |||
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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, symbolizing the region’s connection to tea and citrus farming.
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 lush 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 modern facility located near the coast, which offers picturesque views and a vibrant atmosphere. The club is known for its passionate local fanbase and its significant role in representing the Black Sea region in Turkish football.